


Daddy and Uncle James

by 1MissMolly



Series: Daddy, Uncle James and Lizzie. [1]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Angst, James is amused, Kidnapping, M/M, Protective James Bond, Q is a father, Threats, major fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-12 12:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7934806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1MissMolly/pseuds/1MissMolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Bond can remain cool and collected in the most trying of circumstances. He is an expert at hand to hand combat and marksman with numerous weapons. He can seduce any woman or man he chooses. He has the highest success rate at achieving his goals, and he has his sights on the young Quartermaster. The only thing standing in his way is the only thing that will surely defeat him. A six year old girl named Elizabeth Park. </p><p>Bond's planned seduction of Q is interrupted by the arrival of Q's daughter, Lizzie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductions

Introductions

Bond wandered down the hall towards Q Branch. His body was sore and new bruises were appearing as he watched. He had just arrived back from Berlin after a successful mission. The bad guys were dead, and there was little in the way of property damage. The German Security Service wasn’t happy, but that wasn’t Bond’s problem. The gash across his chest was still bleeding, even after the medic in the Evac helicopter stitched it closed. His white tailored shirt was now torn and streaked with his blood. He had torn the knee in his trousers and the jacket was beyond repair. Another bespoke suit ruined, but maybe it would gain him some sympathy points with the bespectacled Quartermaster. He was still wired from his mission and was looking for someone specific to help him unwind.

Bond smiled. He had been dancing around with Q and their flirtation for far too long now. Three years they had traded innuendoes and sly looks. Today would be a good day to finally get the younger man to give in and get into bed with Bond. The mission had been a check in the win column and Bond wanted to celebrate. A meal with red meat, a good single malt, and a night with Q underneath him. That was how Bond wanted to celebrate.

He pushed his way into Q Branch and saw the man of his desires with his back to the agent. Q was standing there in one of his absurd mustard colored cardigans. The check trousers hung loosely over the narrow hips. As Bond watched from the distance, he began to understand Q’s fashion sense. The ridiculous colors accentuated his pale skin and made his dark hair appear richer and thicker. The bizarre trousers gave form and structure to legs and hips that were probable too narrow for the young man’s own good. But Bond was looking forward to finally seeing what was under those checks and plaids. The soft wools and knitted jumpers.

He paused for a moment, knowing Q didn’t realize he was being observed. Bond leaned against one of the walls and studied the young man’s back. The long lines and thin limbs. A predatory smile came the blonde’s lips. He wanted to stay where he was, but a wave of exhaustion swept over him. He decided waiting for the man in his office would be better than waiting where everyone in Q Branch could spy on them. Maybe he could even convince the man to bend over his desk for him, if Bond presented a very appealing picture when Q came into his office.

Bond stepped over to Q’s office and quickly opened the door. The lights were on and the room smelled of oranges and tea. Bond closed the door and turned to the couch. He thought an hour or two of sleep wouldn’t hurt him and he would be more rested for his finally conquest of the Quartermaster. But to his surprise, the couch was already occupied.

“Who are you?” The small child asked. Her hazel eyes wide with amazement.

Bond stared at the girl for several heart beats. He waited to hear her scream at the stranger who just intruded on her, but the child didn’t seem frightened by Bond. Just curious.

“You’re bleeding!” She said with a raised eyebrow. “Should I get Daddy?”

 _‘Daddy? Who the bloody hell was Daddy?’_ Bond thought. He was stunned into silence around the child.

The girl hopped off the couch and walked right up to the operative. There was no apprehension in her hazel green eyes. She stopped right in front of Bond and looked right up at him. Her dark thick hair and deep red lips highlighted the satin smooth pale face.

“Does Daddy know you are here?” She asked unafraid of the man standing in front of her.

“I don’t know . . . who is Daddy?” Bond asked looking down into eyes he felt were far too familiar to be a stranger’s.

“My Daddy . . . He works here. This is his office.” She said staring up at the man. “How did you hurt yourself? You should go to a doctor.”

Bond blinked. “I don’t like doctors, they won’t give me candy anymore when I visit them. Do you like doctors?”

“No.” She giggled. “You’re too old for candy.”

“You’re never too old for candy . . . Your Daddy’s office? . . . Q? Your Daddy is Q?”

Just then the door opened and Q stepped into the room. He paused as he caught James Bond standing dumbfounded in front of his daughter.

“Bond?”

“Daddy!” The small child rushed forward and Q quickly bent down and picked the child up. It was a smooth and well-practiced move. The child’s head rested on Q’s shoulder, her dark curls blending seamlessly into the man’s own hair.

“Hello . . . Daddy.” Bond tried to smile at the younger man but his confusion seemed to dull his expression.

“Bond . . . what are you doing here, besides scaring my daughter?” The sharp edge to Q’s voice let the other man know he had over stepped.

“Daddy, I’m not scared. He’s hurt . . . we should give him a plaster and kiss it to make him feel better.”

Q looked down at the small child in his arms.

“Lizzie, I’m sure Mister Bond has numerous friends whom would be more than happy to kiss him and make him feel better.”

“One friend more couldn’t hurt.” Bond said still smiling. “So your name is Lizzie. My name is James.” He held his hand out to the child. Lizzie took it quickly and shook it. “I didn’t know you were a father, Q.”

“Yes, obviously I am. This is my daughter, Elizabeth Park.” Q let the child slip down out of his arms. His hand pausing for a moment on his daughter’s head before he nudged her gently towards the couch. “Pick up your things dear. We will be leaving soon.”

“And Lizzie’s mother?” Bond asked in a whisper voice while raising an eyebrow. He remembered a previous conversation with the young man regarding his responsibilities. A mortgage and two cats were listed but not a wife and child. In the three years the two men had been working together, Q never gave the impression he was married or even interested in women.

“We are divorced.” It was a short terse answer that made Bond feel like the subject was not only closed but not available to be opened for further discussion.

“Oh, I see.”

“Bond, why aren’t you in Medical?” Q turned to look at the ruin of Bond’s suit.

“The worse of it has already been dealt with.”

“Well, I doubt you are here to return any of your equipment since I know you destroyed most of it when the expensive car I loaned you blew up. The rest of you equipment?”

“The bottom of the Rhine.” Bond’s eyes shifted to the child then looked at Q, questioning if this was an appropriate time to be discussing his previous mission. Q just nodded his head.

“So what brings you to my office? I’m sure it wasn’t to indulge in finger painting with Lizzie.”

“I was going . . .” Bond paused for a moment. If Q had been married, maybe Bond had totally misinterpret the flirting. Maybe Q wasn’t interested in men. He damn sure wasn’t going to suggest a date in front of Q’s kid. “Dinner . . . I was going to ask if you had had dinner yet.”

Q raised an eyebrow. He stared at Bond for a moment before he turned to Lizzie.

“Kitten, would you please go tell Margo I need to speak to her. She said she had something for you. She’s at her desk out in the bull pen.”

Lizzie hopped off the couch and walked up to James.

“We haven’t had dinner yet, but I would like to have dinner with you.” Lizzie said as she looked up at James.

James smiled at the young girl. He knelt down so was at eye level with her.

“I think I should probably clean up first but I would most definitely like to have dinner with you too. Maybe later? . . . Okay?”

She smiled at Bond and rushed out of the room. Q quickly closed the door as James stood.

“What did you say to her?” Q asked accusingly.

“Nothing other than hello.”

Q stared at Bond for a moment then backed away from the man and ducked his head. He went to the couch and started picking up Lizzie’s belongings. He was shoving them haphazard into a bright pink knapsack. Bond picked up a stuff bear and held it out for Q to take. Q paused and looked at it, before grabbing it and pushing into bag.

“I never took you for the . . . fatherly type, Q.” Said James trying to lighten the surly Quartermaster’s mood.

“Katherine just dropped her off today at reception.”

“No warning?” Bond asked, wondering if this was a common occurrence and he just had never noticed.

“None. Katherine demanded a divorce when I started working here four years ago. Lizzie was two then. She said she couldn’t stay married to a war mongering spy.”

“Doesn’t she know, that espionage tends to prevent wars and as for you personally, I don’t think the term spy applies.”

Q turned and glared at the man.

“My employment at MI6 is classified. She threatened to divulge it in court if I didn’t give up full custody of Lizzie to her. The previous M insisted I give in to Katherine when I took over as Quartermaster. I have only had limited contact with my own child over the last four years. Just weekends and a few holidays.”

There was a knock on the door and Margo pushed the door open. Margo was barely five foot two but in her black high heal platform boots, she reached five six. Her hair was jet black with a bright blue streak hanging down the left side of her head. James wondered how long it took the twenty something year old to apply the various layers of black mascara and eyeliner in the morning. Her skin was unnaturally pale and James decided it had to be some kind of makeup to give her that ethereal quality.

James watched at the woman came in holding Lizzie’s hand. In Lizzie’s other hand was a ridiculously large lollie.

“Somebody really misses her daddy.” Margo said.

Q looked up at the two females. He opened his arms and Lizzie came running to him.

“Please, Daddy, can we go home now?”

“Let me pack up everything and we can go.” Q said as he gently stroked his daughter’s hair. Q glanced over at Bond. “You should go to Medical and get those stitches check. It looks like you may have torn some.”

“I’ll be alright . . . can I help you?”

“No, we will be alright.” Q said as he kept one hand resting on his daughter’s back. James could see the tremor in the long fingers.

“Lizzie?” James knelt down as the child turned to look at him. “I’m going to be in town for several days. Would you like to go to the park with me and your daddy one day?”

He watched as the girl’s eyes bloomed brightly. He had seen the same expression on Q’s face when he was excited about a new gadget in R and D.

“Oh please! I want to see the swans at the lake!”

“Lizzie . . . kitten, I’m sure Mister Bond will be very busy and unable to take us anywhere.”

“But Daddy, he said . . .” The child began to plead.

“It won’t be a problem, Quartermaster. I will be more than happy to make time for such a lovely young lady.”

Q glanced sideways at Bond, but the blonde maintained a relax smile. He looked completely harmless, but Q knew what the man was more than capable of.

“You are plotting something, Bond. I don’t know what it is, but you are plotting.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Q.”

~Q~

Q took the next three days off before he returned to work, minus one child. Bond had gone through his debriefing and was getting his final check-up with Medical two weeks later, when Alec Trevelyan found him escaping the Psych department.

“James . . . dodging Doctor Hall again?” Alec asked knowing full well Bond hated the psychiatrist.

“Alec, did you know Q was a father?”

“A father of what?” Alec asked as he trotted up to join his friend’s rapid escape.

“A child . . . a six year old girl?”

“You’re joking?! Our little boffin? Never.”

“I met her. She looks just like him.” James said as checked around the corner before proceeding down the hall.

“Did he create her in a laboratory? You know some bizarre gene experiment or something like that?”

“He said he had been married. He was divorced and M made him give the child up.”

“Sounds like her.” Alec said. He and James always considered Mansfield as their M and not Gareth Mallory. “If he had to give her up, how did you meet her?”

“Q’s ex dropped her off. Dumped her at reception.”

“I’m sure that went over well.”

The two men reached the lift without being seen in the department. James pressed the call button, then glanced up at his friend.

“I thought he was gay. I thought we were flirting.”

Alec smiled.

“You were. I’m in the betting pool that you are going to bed the boy before Christmas, so get to it.” Alec joked.

James cocked his head slightly and glared at the other blonde.

“I’m not going to seduce a man who would prefer the company of women. Especially not so you can win a bet.”

The doors of the lift opened and before the two agents could step in, Eve Moneypenny stepped out and blocked them.

“Just who I was looking for. Come along James. You have a new mission.”

“I’m scheduled for some down time.” Bond didn’t actually want the time off, but he thought it wise not to let E Branch know that.

“A friend of yours wants to meet. He says he has information about Georgian separatists buying weapons from a Turkish general.” Eve smiled brightly. She seem so innocent when she smiled that way, but it hid the killer instinct behind her eyes.

Bond sighed and followed the woman up to Mallory’s office to receive the brief.

~Q~

Bond went into Q Branch to be outfitted for his trip to Kiev. It was the first time Bond had seen Q since his return from Berlin. He wore his slate grey suit with a thin blue window pane woven into the Italian wool. He wore a dark blue tie that accentuated his blue eyes. Bond could hear women sighing as he strolled pass. A smug expression on his face as his body seem to increase a swagger.

Q was in his office alone, when Bond knocked on the door. Bond entered and found Q concentrating on a new circuit board. The soddering iron still in his hand.

“Oh, Bond . . . yes . . . Kiev.”

Q glanced around at his work bench, then set the soddering iron back into its holder. He stood and walked over to another bench.

Bond glanced around the familiar room, a practice engrained by training. Looking for anything out of place or anything lethal that he might need in the near future. His eyes fell on a drawing to two people made by a child. It was pinned to the wall next to the schematics of a new radio receiver.

The picture was of two people, one small with dark curly hair holding the hand of one taller with spiky blonde hair. The blonde figure had bright blue eyes. The two figures were looking at another greyish blob with wings. Across the top of the picture in a child’s scrawl were the words, ‘To Uncle James, love Lizzie.’

“Uncle James?” Bond pointed the picture.

Q glanced up from the bench then followed Bond’s finger to the portrait his daughter had drawn.

“Oh, yes. Lizzie did that for you. It’s the two of you at the park with a swan. She wanted me to give it to you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Q glanced back at Bond then down at the equipment on the bench.

“For Kiev. Nothing special. Just the normal . . . ear piece, radio, and your Walther.”

“Q, are you worried about your daughter and myself becoming friends?” Bond teased.

Q adjusted his glasses on his face before he looked up at the man.

“She said she wanted to marry you.” Bond smiled broader. A small breath released as a laugh. “I told her it was impossible.”

“Why, are you worried about me being your . . . son-in-law?”

“I informed her you were too immature to be a suitable husband.”

“And what did she said to that?” James asked as he wondered about the type of conversations the Quartermaster would have with his precocious daughter.

“After I had to explain what ‘immature’ meant, she informed me she would wait until you grew up.”

Bond couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud. Q glared at the man.

“Don’t worry Daddy, we’ll invite you to the wedding.”

Bond could see the glint in the man’s eyes. Q found his daughter’s infatuation just a charming as James did. Q just couldn’t approve of the object of the affection.

“Don’t push it Bond. I’m very tempted to send you out with an egg beater and a pogo stick if you continue.”

Bond winked and turned to leave. He would make it a point to find something special for the little girl in Georgia.


	2. An Interruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James' date is interrupted by a texted message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful comments. I am blessed to have had someone not only beta this for me but also Brit pick. Please enjoy.

An Interruption

Bond was sitting across the table from the assistant to the Under-secretary of the Swedish ambassador. The woman was in her later thirties and intelligent. Her long blonde hair was so pale it almost appeared white in the restaurant’s low lighting. She had a deep tan and Bond could see from the deep neckline of her dress, she more than likely sunbathed topless. Her eyes were a pale silvery grey and her mouth was simply stunning. Elsa Jordonsen was exquisite. The perfect companion for a lovey and exuberant evening on the town, but James Bond was bored.

He maintained his pleasant and interested face as she spoke of her last trip to Sweden. He was a very good actor and could maintain the appearance of attentiveness when his mind was someplace else. Tonight, as he sat in the discrete four star restaurant, his mind was wondering what Q and his daughter were doing that evening. Bond wondered if they ate in, or was Q forcing his six year old daughter to adopt his abysmal eating habits. Was the poor child being forced to eat cold take away or survive solely on Earl Grey tea.

The image of the young child scolding her father for his poor eating habits caused the corner of James’ lips to twitch in a smile. Elsa saw the movement and it must have been at an important moment in her story, because she leaned in close to the man as her hand wrapped tightly over his.

“Are you interested in something like that?” She purred at him.

James licked his lips and tipped his head back slightly. He had lost the thread of the story and wasn’t exactly sure what activity she was speaking of.

“I might not be a connoisseur but I have a diverse tastes.”

She smiled broadly and leaned closer. She slowly dragged her nose across his jaw line, following the curve and up to his ear. She whispered darkly.

“I could teach you to love it.” Her lips pinched his ear lobe between her teeth and she gently pulled.

Whatever she had been talking about seemed very promising. James smiled and twisted to kiss her mouth.

Just then he felt the slight pulse of his mobile vibrating in his pocket. He sighed out of the brief kiss and frowned.

“Excuse me, darling. Work is never too far away.”

Elsa pouted and pulled back as James retrieved the mobile form his pocket. He glanced down at the message.

_‘Bond I need you’_

Bond recognized the number in a second. It was Q’s personal mobile. His private line that no one from MI6 was supposed to use except in emergencies. A sudden surge of adrenaline pumped through the man’s body.

He wiped his mouth with his napkin as Bond stood. His eyes still fixed on the message on the small screen.

“Excuse, Elsa. I need to go save the world.”

“But you are just an attaché from the Foreign Office?”

“Needs must.”

He leaned down and quickly kissed her cheek. Pulling back quick enough that she could not reach for him.

“James . . . but what about the mud wrestling?!”

Bond hesitated in his steps. Mud wrestling? Was that what he had agreed too? He sighed in relief he was going to avoid that as he rushed from the restaurant.

The drive to Q’s flat was quick. Bond discovered the classified address when he believed he might be able to convince Q into a more personal interaction with the agent. Even though Bond now knew the Q’s tastes were more heterosexual, it hadn’t stopped the man from some very vivid imaginings of the two of them in erotic encounters. He knew it was fruitless, but knowing now there was no chance of them coming true made the midnight fantasies even more appealing.

He parked a street over from Q’s flat and walked quickly down the pavement to the front door. Bond kept walking right passed the door and then around the corner. He was subtly checking left and right for any sign of threat. He didn’t see anyone lurking by Q’s front door. There wasn’t a car parked next to the kerb with someone sitting behind the wheel. There were no indication of an altercation on the ground outside the flat block.

James followed around the back of the building and jumped over the rear fence. The building didn’t have a garden but a narrow car park that only had room for three cars. Every one of the bonnets on the cars parked there were cold. None had recently arrived. He saw the metal ladder for the fire escape. It was counter weighted to lift up unless someone was climbing down it. Bond leapt up and grabbed the last rung; the hinges squeaked as the ladder pivoted and lowered.

Climbing up the ladder, Bond jumped over the railing surrounding Q’s balcony. He would have to inform the Quartermaster that his flat was way too easy to breach. Swinging his leg over the metal railing, he could hear a woman’s voice through the glass doors.

“I told you there would be consequences. Now this is it. You are going down.” The woman’s voice was tight and angry.

“NO, I WANT MY DADDY!” James heard Lizzie scream.

The glass door was locked and Bond didn’t believe he had the time to pick one of Q’s locks. He picked up the heavy wrought iron chair and heaved it through the glass panel. It shattered into a rain of small chunks of safety glass. A cascade of shimmering silver and white.

Bond ducked down and rolled into the room. Coming up on his knee, his gun already pointed at the stunned woman standing beside Lizzie. The woman screamed.

“Uncle James!” Lizzie shouted and rushed forward.

She wrapped her thin arms around James’ neck and burrowed her face into his neck. James wrapped his left arm around the child as he slowing stood up. Her small body almost weightless in his grasp.

“DON’T HURT US!” The woman shouted. She rushed forward to grab Lizzie, but Bond waved his gun and she paused. “Please, she’s only a child. Just take whatever you want and leave us. Please!”

For a brief moment, Bond thought it was an odd appeal from a kidnapper. Then he realized . . . he was the perceived kidnapper.

“Lizzie, dear . . . where is your father?” James said as calmly as he could with the adrenaline still pumping through his blood stream.

“He’s on a date and I’m left with . . . HER.” Lizzie growled as she looked back at the baby sitter.

Bond felt a sudden wave of nausea. How was he going to explain this to M tomorrow morning? He let the child slipped down from his hold. As her feet touched the floor, she wrapped her arms around James’ thigh.

“Lizzie, did you use your father’s mobile to call me?”

The baby sitter’s ashen face suddenly twisted into anger. Bond was glad he still was holding the gun, because now the woman look as if she had murderous intent. And it was directed at Bond and the child.

“YOU CALLED HIM! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TELL HIM?!” She glanced up at Bond. “AND YOU . . . WHAT THE BLUE BLAZES DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?! SCARING ME LIKE THAT!”

Lizzie tugged on the hem of James’ jacket. He glanced down into the angelic little face.

“I don’t like her. She yells a lot.”

James sighed and lowered his gun.

“There seems to have been a misunderstanding.” He began.

Just then the front door of the flat was kicked in. Three men repelled onto the balcony and crashed through the remaining windows. Armed members of MI6 Critical Response team rushed through the broken front door. Their faces covered with black masks while they were dressed in black combat gear, pointing AR15s at the baby sitter.

The woman saw the seven member assault team pointing loaded weapons at her and she reacted accordingly. She passed out.

Lizzie glanced around at the tall threatening men in the room with her. She tugged on the hem of James’ jacket again.

“Should I have told you it was me texting?”

~Q~

Q had been having dinner with his guest at the restaurant when field agent from MI6 came in and informed him he was needed at home. Q and his date were whisked away from the dinner and driven through the traffic back to Q’s flat block.

Q came bursting through the door of his flat to find a team from MI6 replacing the windows on his balcony. There was also a new front door along with a cleaning team hoovering broken glass out of his carpet.

“Lizzie?!” Q shouted.

“Sir . . .” one of the workmen called out to Q.

The concerned father rapidly turned to see the man pointing to the hall leading back to bedrooms. Q rushed forward and opened the door to his daughter’s bedroom.

“Daddy!” Lizzie leaped out of the bed and ran up to her father.

“Lizzie!” Q grabbed his daughter and picked her up. Wrapping her tightly in his arms. He glanced over and saw Bond sitting on the edge of his daughter’s bed. “Bond?”

“She’s fine, but I think you will need to find another baby sitter. I don’t believe the agency will ever accept another request from you again.”

Q pulled his daughter back and looked at his daughter. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t know Daddy.”

“Lizzie?”

James laughed softly. “It seems your daughter is very resourceful.”

Q scrunched his face up in a quizzical glance. Bond continued.

“I received a text from your private mobile informing me, I was needed here. Apparently MI6 also monitors the mobiles of the executives. A Response Team was dispatched and all of us arrived at roughly the same time.”

Q groaned and closed his eyes. “Oh dear . . . Mrs. Horton?”

“She is in Medical right now. Apparently suffering from a panic attack.”

Q turned back to his daughter. “Lizzie, how did you get my phone?”

“It was in your pocket Daddy.”

“You pickpocketed me?” Q’s eyes then glanced up at James. “Did you teach her how to pickpocket?”

James held his hands up in innocence and shook his head.

“No Daddy, I learned how to do that all on my own. I didn’t like Mrs. Horton. She was mean. I wanted James to watch me.”

“Lizzie, I’ve explained to you that Mister Bond is too busy to be your baby sitter.” Q focused back down on his daughter.

“But he came right over, after I texted him.” She argued back with her father.

“That’s not the point . . .”

There was a clearing of a throat. Bond and Q turned to see a young man standing in the hall behind Q. Bond noticed the man was tall and thin. Roughly Q’s age with pale brown hair and sad brown eyes. His face was thin and long, with a very straight nose.

“Brandon?” The young man queried.

“Oh, Matthew . . . I’m sorry.” Q stepped closer to the young man. “Ah, I was planning on telling you at dinner but . . . this is my daughter, Elizabeth.”

The young man Matthew gave the child a critical glance. He didn’t return Lizzie’s smile and James watched as Lizzie turned away from the man and wrapped her arms tightly around her father’s neck. He saw the child whisper something in her father’s ear.

“Ah, Bond . . . would you mind. I need to put Lizzie to bed.”

“Not at all . . . Brandon.”

The two men shared a pointed stare as Bond finally learned Q’s real name. James stepped around father and daughter and out into the hallway. He closed the door, shutting himself and Matthew off from the two.

“Coffee?” Bond asked, not knowing where Q would keep it in his kitchen.

“No thank you.” Matthew said coolly. “Are you a friend of Brandon’s?”

“We work together.” James said as he walked down the hall and back out into the living room.

The crews were about finished with their repairs and were cleaning up.

“Oh . . . you work with him at the export company?”

Bond thought quickly. _Export company? Universal Exports . . . cover._

“Yes. I’m in sales and he is tech support.”

Matthew glanced around the living room at the people working, then back to Bond.

“Do export company employees usually break into each other’s flats?”

“A misunderstanding.” James smiled. It was obvious Matthew didn’t believe him.

“Please tell Brandon I had to leave.” Matthew said but remained still. As if daring to see if Bond would ask him to stay.

“Is there a message you would like for me to relay?”

“Yes . . . I don’t like being lied too. And I don’t date men who have brats waiting for them at home.”

James felt the need to punch the man. Lizzie might be precocious. She might be head strong and mischievous, but she was not a brat.

Matthew waited to see if James was going to take the bait. Instead of arguing with the man, Bond crossed his arms over his chest and let a smile grow on his face.

“I’m sure your presence won’t be missed. Good night.”

Matthew huffed and spun on his heels, storming out of the flat. A minute later, Q came out of his daughter’s room.

“Matthew?” He asked when he saw Bond standing alone in the kitchen.

“He had to leave.”

“Oh . . .” Q sat down at the table.

“Is Lizzie alright?”

“Yes . . . she decided to give me some advice.”

“She seems quite certain about herself. What was it about?”

“Dating.” Q said.

“Well if it was to never see that wanker again, it was good advice.”

Q gave Bond a weak smile. “I met him at a lecture on Russian literature. I thought it would be nice to finally have a date with someone . . . well anyone.”

“And?” James pressed.

“Well, before the date ended with MI6 showing up, I realized I couldn’t tell him anything about myself.”

“About being a father or working in espionage?’’

“Anything. It was really horrible . . . I hate to say it, but I was actually relieved the date was ruined once I learned Lizzie was okay.”

Bond smiled again. He remember his own date earlier in the evening. He remembered how he wished he was dinning with someone else. Someone he could be more open with.

“Well, Quartermaster, I guess that’s my cue to leave. Good night and I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” James started to walk to the door. Q followed him out. Q held the door open as Bond turned and looked at Q. “So what exactly was her advice to you?”

Q blushed slightly. “It was silly, really.” Bond stood his ground and waited for the answer. Q continued. “She told me I should ask you out on a date.”

“Oh . . . remarkable young lady.”

Q’s face brightened up. “Yes she is. Good night.”

Q closed the door before James could say anything else.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always comments are enjoyed and re-enforce my writing. Thank you.


	3. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q needs to come up with a memorable birthday for his daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments and all the kudos. I am very overwhelmed. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Birthday

It had been two weeks since Bond had crashed through the window of Q’s flat. He hadn’t seen anything of the young Quartermaster or his daughter in that time. He had just finished a briefing with Tanner about an upcoming mission to Sweden and he was expecting to leave in a few days after his cover was established by his contact. The mission wasn’t supposed to be anything too complicated. Just shutting down a conduit of human traffickers who were transporting teenaged girls into the UK; mostly to be underage prostitutes. Bond dearly hated human traffickers. They traded a person’s dreams of a better life for slavery.

He wandered down to Q Branch to be fitted out with his kit for mission. Opening the double doors that led into the bullpen, Bond saw R speaking to several minions. He moved across the room with a confidence and swagger that came from years of practice and a personal self-assurance. He could feel the gaze of most of the women in the room and several of the men. It played into his ego and made his step lighter. He was in a good mood. He was going to kill some bastards and he was going to look good while doing it.

“007, you’re early. We weren’t expecting you till Monday.” R said immune to his charisma. R was an older woman who had worked with the previous Q, Major Boothroyd. She was smart and diligent. She treated the double ‘O’s like her own children. Using a firm but steady hand.

“I thought I would educate myself with the intricacies of Q’s little gadgets before I left for Stockholm.”

“You mean you wanted to play with them and see if you could break them before you left.” R stared at the man over the rim of her glasses.

“R . . . you cut me to the quick.”

“I’ll cut you somewhere else if you lose another set of radios.” R’s biting words lost their edge as a smile crept to her lips. “Q is swamped right now. Something to do with his daughter. You will have to wait till Monday.”

“Is everything alright with Lizzie?” James asked, the mission suddenly taking a secondary role in his mind.

“I think so . . . but Q is upset. Something this weekend.” R glanced over at the closed office door. “I wouldn’t bother him.”  

James’ eyes followed the woman’s. Never known to take good advice, Bond quickly walked across the bullpen and knocked on Q’s office door. The knock was greeted by silence. He knocked again, then sighed as he opened the door and walked in without invitation.

“Bond!” Q shouted as he looked up from his computer screen. “I’m busy . . . go bother R . . . or better yet, get out of my department all together.”

Bond ignored the order and moved to stand over Q’s shoulder, looking down at the display of the computer screen.

“I was told something happened to Lizzie.”

“What?! Lizzie?! Who told you?” Q twisted around. His eyes were wide like an owl’s as he craned his head to look up at the blonde.

“R said you were upset about Lizzie. What’s happened? Is her mother back from New Zealand?”

Q slouched in his chair. “Katherine? No, the thoughtless bitch. She wouldn’t be considerate enough to be here to help.”

James waited but Q didn’t say anything else. He glanced at the computer screen that still displayed a list of tourist activities to do in London. James cocked an eyebrow up as he stepped back and around the desk. Q glanced up at him again then it seemed an idea came to the younger man.

“Bond . . . you know women.”

“Yes, I do . . . several.” James smiled.

“No, that’s not what I mean . . . you know how to make women happy. How to please them. All of them . . . regardless of age.”

James had a sudden awkward feeling. “Q, I don’t know what you’ve heard but I do have standards. I have rules about what is acceptable and what is not. And the first and most important rule is no one under the age of twenty-six.”

Q stared for a moment at the man then frowned. “Bond you are perverse! I wasn’t thinking about that! Especially not in regards of my daughter!”

Bond still confused by the statement sat down in the chair opposite Q’s desk. He decided he should wait and hear the young man out.

“I have been known to make a woman happy before we reach . . . before we are in private.”

“Tomorrow is Lizzie’s birthday. The first one I’ve been able to be at since she was three. I want it to be special, something she will remember fondly, but I don’t know what to do.”

“A party?” James suggested then realizing it probably had already been thought of and dismissed.

Q turned and glared at the man. “If it was only that simple. Lizzie’s only been with me for a few weeks. She’s made no friends at that ridiculously expensive school she’s been going to. Her nanny doesn’t know of any close friends and Katherine is not returning my calls. I doubt she even remembers it’s Lizzie’s seventh birthday. It’s our first one together in years. She’s been through so much already and I don’t want her to feel bad on the one day that should be all about her. I want her to be happy but I can’t think a single thing to do. I’m not going to take her to a museum and I refuse to take her to some cartoonish restaurant for burgers and chips.”

Q collapsed back down in his chair, hiding his face in his hands. James watched the confused young father for a moment.

“She told me once, she liked swans.”

“She loves them.” Q said looking up.

“Does she or you have any food allergies?”

“No food allergies, but she doesn’t like pickles.” Q said as he wrinkled his face.

James pulled out his mobile and started typing away. Sliding pages on his smart phone. Q sat silently as he watched the smile on James’ face get larger.

“Okay. Meet me at the boat dock at the Serpentine at ten tomorrow.”

“Boat dock?” Q asked.

“Yes. Wear comfortable clothes and trainers. Also remember to bring sun hats.”

Q nodded. “What are you planning?”

“How about spending her birthday punting down the river and around the lake watching the swans. Then a lovely picnic on the lawn in Hyde Park. Just the three of us.”

Q stared at Bond for several seconds, then frowned. “Bond, you don’t need to feel obligated to spend your Saturday with my daughter and me.”

“It would be my pleasure, Q.”

The young man smiled broadly.

“It sounds perfect. Thank you, Bond.” Then Q sat forward. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“We’ll think of something.” Bond turned to leave before Q could say anything else. He needed to go and arrange a large picnic hamper for them and a small birthday cake for Lizzie.

~Q~

Bond stood on the platform on the back of the boat and slowly pushed the long thin boat through the still water. Lizzie sat in her father’s lap as the boat glided along. Every time she saw a swan, Lizzie would start to squeal and point. Q’s arms would tighten around the young child and hold her close for fear she would jump into the water to swim up to the swan. He would hush her as James maneuvered the boat closer.

Finally they passed near a nest with a pen and three cygnets swimming by. The graceful white bird craned its head slightly toward the boat, then smoothly changed direction and swam off towards the reeds. The three small grey puffballs followed closely behind their mother.

Bond stilled the boat and held it in place as father and daughter watched silently. The swan and its young glide along seemingly unconcerned by the three people. Bond glanced over at Q and Lizzie. Both had the same amazed expression on their faces. Their eyes wide and clear. A growing pinkness to their cheeks from the sun. Their mouths pursed into an ‘O’. They were a matched pair.

Bond smiled at them. It was a perfect scene and he was happy he had been included in it. Q glanced over, while his daughter was still entranced by the birds. Q’s smile remained on his face as he looked at James. There was a softness to Q’s expression that Bond had never noticed before. An innocence and youthfulness that made Bond want to be young again himself.

Bond watched as Q mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to the blonde. James returned the smile and nodded. Then pushed off with the punting pole and moved the boat away from the pen and cygnets.

Later, after they had returned the boat back to the docks, Bond had led father and daughter to a large oak tree on the edge of the lawn. He spread out a plaid blanket and set the large picnic hamper down. Lizzie was talking a mile a minute about the swans. She was describing each bird they had seen together as if the two men were ignorant of what they had just been doing.

Bond laughed as he started pulling out sandwiches and crisps. There was a bowl of fresh fruit and a platter of cheeses, but no pickles. The birthday cake turned into petite fores of different favors. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. He pulled out a bottle and three glasses. Q raised an eyebrow at the bottle.

“Wine? Do you think that is proper, Bond?”

“Uncle James, Q. Remember.” James smiled at the man. “And it’s sparkling apple juice. I also have lemonade in here, somewhere.” James kept rooting around in the enormous hamper.

Q couldn’t help himself. He laughed and leaned over and hugged ‘Uncle James’.

“Thank you, James. This has been perfect. I knew you would know what to do.” He said as he pulled back.

The hug had been so spontaneous, James didn’t have time to react to it. He regretted his hands had not been able to reach around the young man’s body. He hadn’t had time to let his fingers comb through Q’s hair. Q’s dark curls had just brushed the side of James’ face and the man could still feel the slight tickle of them against his cheek. There was the light hint of Q’s scent in the air. Bergamot and mint. Remarkably, Bond found it soothing.

Before James could say anything else, Lizzie rushed forward and plopped herself into James’ lap.

“This is the best day ever!” Lizzie proclaimed as she wrapped her arms around James’ neck.

“Lizzie . . . don’t choke, Uncle James!” Q chastised.

“Don’t worry, Daddy. I won’t break him.” She said as she spun around and sat comfortably in Bond’s lap. Resting her back against his chest like a large comfortable chair. Q and James both laughed.

“I don’t believe you can break him but I’m sure he doesn’t want you to use him like a piece of furniture.”

“It’s okay, Q. Don’t worry.” James said as he protectively wrapped one arm around the child.

Lizzie then frowned and looked back and forth between the two men.

“What is it, Lizzie? Is something wrong?” Q asked concerned by the change in his daughter.

“Why does Uncle James call you ‘Q’? Your name is Brandon.”

The two men glanced back at each other. Then James leaned forward and stage whispered into Lizzie’s ear where Q could hear him.

“It’s a joke between your father and me. Very private. Someday I will tell you.”

Lizzie looked up at the blonde then smiled. “You promise?”

“Yes.”

She hugged the man again. “Can we do this next weekend too?”

Again, Bond and Q shared a look.

“No, sweetheart.” Q started.

“I have to go out of town, Lizzie.” James interrupted his quartermaster before Q said something else, like Bond didn’t want to spend all of his free time with them. “But when I return we will do something together . . . the three of us.”

Lizzie smiled brightly and reached up and kissed James’ cheek. James’ eyes flicked up to see Q watching them. He was happy. The softness had returned to Q’s expression and James felt a calmness come to him too. He just wished it was another member of the Park family to kiss him instead of Lizzie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that Bond is not quite to character in this story but for the purposes of the storyline I've made him a bit more of a softy. For those of you who prefer the more lethal Bond, just wait. He will be using he specific skill sets later in the story.


	4. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the cats away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of silliness. I hope you enjoy.

Fever

Bond came into Q Branch looking for the Quartermaster. As soon as he looked into the room, Bond backed up to check to make sure he had opened the correct doors. He glanced in again to the see the normally calm workaholic department in disarray. Music was blaring from the speakers that usually were used for communication with operatives on missions. A colorful beach ball was being batted back and forth between minions who were not working at their stations. Four of the younger minions seemed to be jousting with broom handles while pushing themselves around on rolling chairs.

Bond stood in the open doorway staring at the pandemonium going on in the room when R stormed in behind him. She sighed exaggeratedly then clapped her hands like a nursey school teacher.

“That is enough!” She wasn’t shouting, but her voice carried over the music and the mayhem.

The beach ball was grabbed by one man wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt. The music was turned down and the jousters stopped in mid-charge.

“I know you need to blow off some pent up tension, but certainly, no more explosives in the ventilation ducts. Please people, we still have a job to do.”

There was a laugh from somewhere in the back of the room. James glanced over and saw Margo trying to cover her smile.

“Explosives?” James asked in a hush voice at R.

“Potassium chlorate and sodium bicarbonate. They just flooded the E Branch with lavender scented smoke laced with mild hallucinogens in hopes it would mellow M and Tanner.” R explained. “They are presently sound asleep on top of the conference table.” Her normal calm voice seemed to have taken on a shrilled edge.

“And where is Q in the middle of this?” Bond asked wondering why Q had suddenly let his department run wild.

“Home, sick.” R said just before rushing off when she noticed a miniature rocket being fueled for launch.

James glanced around the room one more time then decided he should try and see how sick Q really was. He didn’t think MI6 could survive much longer without their Quartermaster’s control over his ‘Whiz Kids’.

~Q~

Bond did try and be polite. He knocked twice before he removed his lock picks and opened the front door to Q’s flat. The room was unnaturally warm and he could hear the sound of children’s music in the background. James slowly walked further into the flat and into the living room.

“Uncle James!” the small child shouted from the floor. “Daddy said not to answer the door when he was sleeping.”

James looked over. Lizzie was still dressed in her nightgown and slippers. Her dark brown curls were flat and her face seemed even paler than normal. Her nose was red and her lips were chapped. She was sitting on the floor, using the coffee table as a desk. Spread across the top of the table were several sheet of paper and crayons. Some of the paper had colorful drawings on them, while others were blank. The television set was playing some inane cartoon with anthropomorphize cat people jumping around from rooftop to rooftop.

While on the couch there was a large lump under a brown blanket. It groaned and moved when Lizzie shouted James’ name. Bond contemplated for a moment to shoot it, believing it might be some hideous monster, till he noticed the dark curls and the red rimmed hazel eyes peering out from under the brown blanket.

“Q?” James asked trying to withhold his smile.

“Shut up, Bond. I’m dying.” Came the muffled voice from under the covers.

“Daddy’s sick, Uncle James. I was sick first but I’m feeling better now.” Lizzie smiled as she stood up and ran over to the blonde.

James knelt down and let the young child wrap her arms around his neck. He could feel the extra warmth coming off her thin body.

“Lizzie, dear . . . I believe you still have a fever.” Bond said as he brought his hand up and cupped the girl’s cheek.

“She had the flu.” Q said as he tried to free himself from his covers. “She brought it home from school. She only had a mild case, but I think it must have mutated before she gave it to me. I’m am considering induced coma at this point.”

James smiled at the two of them. Lizzie frowned and stage whispered to the blonde.

“Daddy is so dramatic.”

Bond couldn’t help himself. He laughed and picked the little girl up.

“Q, don’t you know that kids bring home a mild cold that becomes pneumonia for the parents. It happens all the time.”

Q glared at the operative but could do no more than just sit there. “Aren’t you worried about getting sick?”

“Mandatory flu shots. Can’t have agents getting sick while on a mission.” James glanced around the room. There were empty tissue boxes sitting next to dirty dishes and half full glasses of juice. The room was hot as Q had turned up the temperature to help with the chills from his fever. “When was the last time you ate something?”

“Daddy hasn’t eaten in a while. I had a jar of jam.”

“You ate a jar of jam? With toast?” James asked.

“No, with a spoon, silly.”

James blinked at the young girl and wondered for a moment if this was what Q was like when he was a child. He shook his head.

“Okay, tell you what we are going to do . . . Lizzie, I want you to go to your room and put on a clean nightgown. This one is a little sticky. Then come back out here and I will fix you some lunch.” He lowered Lizzie back down to the floor. “Q, you are going off to bed. No arguments.” He stopped the younger man before he could say a word. “Aspirin and juice. I’ll bring in your lunch after I feed Lizzie. Then both of you are to nap.”

“But I don’t want to nap.” Lizzie started to protest.

“Sweetheart, you need your rest so you can go back to the park.”

Lizzie’s eyes grew large and she dashed back to her room. Q still couldn’t find the strength to get off the couch. James watched him for a moment.

“Do you need me to carry you, Q?”

“If you touch me, I’ll . . . I’ll . . . I’ll do something, I just don’t know what right now.”

Bond smiled at Q’s befuddlement. “Don’t worry, Quartermaster. Right now you are the least shaggable person I know.”

Q looked up at the man with a raised eyebrow.

“I think there is either an insult or a compliment in there. I’m just not sure which.”

“Come on.” James reached down and wrapped his arm around Q’s thin body.

He easily picked the man up and helped him walk down the hall to his bedroom. Q unceremoniously flopped down on his unmade bed as James moved him around till he could cover the sick boffin with the duvet. Bond then straightened up the nightstand. Throwing away the empty tissue box and retrieving another one from the bathroom. He refilled Q’s water glass and moved the bin closer to the bed.

“Try to get the tissues in here instead of starting a collection on the nightstand again.”

Q wanted to glare at the man and say something biting, but he was too tired and his head hurt too much to do more than just scowl.

Bond spent the afternoon cleaning the flat and making soup with toasted cheese sandwiches for the two people. Lizzie did go down for nap as Q fell asleep half way through eating his lunch.

That evening Q woke up feeling better than he had in three days. He was beginning to believe he might live and not lament the possibility. From his bed he could hear a soft voice coming down the hall. He swung his feet out of bed and sat up quickly. Suddenly, regretting the move. His head pounded and he felt very dizzy. He sat very still for a few moments as his body regained its equilibrium. He could still hear the soft voice. A man’s voice. Q tried to remember who was there in the flat with his daughter and himself.

Then he remembered Bond. James Bond, 007, licensed to kill, blow up and seduce anyone or anything he needed to. The lethal lothario was presently caring for Q and his daughter. The surrealism of the situation was making Q’s head hurt more. Q pulled himself up to stand and slowly walked down the hall to his daughter’s bedroom. He put his hands out to steady himself as he moved to the open door.

James was sitting up in the bed, his back resting against the antique white headboard. Lizzie was nestled under James’ left arm. Her head resting on his chest. Her eyes were closed but from the angle he was sitting, James couldn’t tell. In the girl’s arm, was her adored stuff brown bear that James had returned with from Georgia.

“As Sir Alec and Sir James flew away on the giant bird, the evil wizard Ourumov and his Castle Arkhangelsk blew up.” James says softly as he finally noticed Q standing in the doorway.

“Evil wizard Ourumov and the Castle Arkhangelsk? I believe the details of that mission are still classified.” Q whispered not wanting to wake his daughter.

“She wanted a bedtime story.” James said as he watched Q cautiously walk into the room.

“So you thought a story of how you and 006 infiltrated a secret Russian weapons manufacturing plant would be an appropriate story?” Q said as he sat down on the opposite of the bed from James.

“It came to me.”

“And what am I going to do when she repeats the story to her classmates next week?” Q asked through a yawn.

“I doubt she would remember it.”

“She remembers everything . . . especially anything to do with you.” Q rubbed his eyes. He was feeling better but another twelve hours of sleep would help.

Bond smiled at the comment. “I take it she still has a crush on me?”

“Unfortunately. I keep telling her you are too old.”

“Ouch Q, that hurts. Would you kiss my wounded pride and make it better?”

Q’s eyes widen for a moment then realizes James was teasing him.

“I think you will live. Anyway, she is only seven. By the time she is eight I’m sure there will be a different infatuation.”

“So quickly forgotten about and pushed to the side.” James tried to move Lizzie off of his chest, but the child grabbed hold of him tighter and wouldn’t let go. “I think I might have to stay here for a while.”

Q gave up trying to stay awake. He laid down beside his daughter. The child sandwiched between the two men. Q laid his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes.

“Bond, thank you.” Q mumbled.

“Anything for my Quartermaster.”

“You know if you weren’t so completely infuriating I might be interested in following through with Lizzie’s advice.”

“What was that?” James asked with a smug smile.

James waited for the answer but none came. The blonde finally heard the soft breathing of the younger man and his daughter. Both Q and Lizzie were sound asleep and curled up with the deadly agent watching over them. Bond, for his part, found it adorable.

~Q~

Q woke up at the normal time he did every morning. He glanced around the room when he realized he wasn’t in his own bedroom. He was in his daughter’s bed and she was still sleeping soundly beside him. Q blinked and tried to remember where he had laid his glasses down. He silently rose from the bed and stepped out into the hallway. That’s when he remembered James had been here the day before.

He retrieved his glasses from his nightstand and went searching for the agent. Q glanced around his living room. The empty tissue boxes were gone and dirty dishes had been removed. He looked in the kitchen. The drying rack by the sink had the missing dishes. They had been washed and dried. The counters had been wiped down and the table was set for two.

On the refrigerator door was a note. Q went over and read through it. Then read it again.

_Dear Quartermaster. I have to admit that was not how I had envisioned our first night in bed together to be like. Hurry up and get back to work. We are all lost without you. James._

Q paused for moment wondering if Bond’s imagination of what a night together was the same as his. He felt a warming of cheeks and slight burning to the tips of ears and Q knew it wasn’t the fever causing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story James is telling Lizzie about is the beginning of GoldenEye.


	5. Desperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q faces a one of worse nightmare a parent can have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we get some angst. Hang on. I want to thank ff_fan for betaing and Britpicking.

Desperation

James had just gotten off the plane at Heathrow, when his mobile pinged with text. He glanced down at the message.

_Priority one-return immediately to V1_

Bond rushed out of the terminal and to the taxi stand. Leaving his luggage still moving on the carousel. He took the first taxi in the line. The traffic and rain slowed the trip in from the airport. He tried to call Eve and got no answer. He tried Q and still no answer. Alec was out of the country and he wasn’t sure exactly who was available for him to call. The taxi took over an hour to reach Vauxhall and Bond was opening the door before the car came to a standstill.

He rushed through security and into the lifts. He paused for a moment, his fingers hovering over the buttons. E Branch was on the upper levels of the building. He reached for the button and pressed the one marked for the sub-basement. Q Branch.

As soon as he got off the lift, he knew something bad had happened. Armed guards were standing by the doors for Q Branch. The men dressed in black combat gear and holding AR 15’s were checking everyone’s badges before allowing them to pass into the department.

Bond stepped up to one of the men, the tall dark skinned guard held out his hand and blocked Bond from going further.

“Sorry sir, only essential personal passed this point.” The guard said.

“Bond, James Bond. I need to see the Quartermaster.”

“I’m sorry sir. No one but essential personal.”

Bond thought for a moment of pushing his way into the department. He wondered how much trouble he would get into by assaulting two member of security. Just before Bond decided to find out, he heard R’s voice.

“James!”

He looked up and saw the woman quickly walking towards him. Bond tried to push passed the guards to meet R, but the men still would not let him pass.

“James, thank God you’re here. It’s Q.” R said as she reached the man. She pushed passed the two guards and grabbed Bond’s arm. She kept walking back to the lifts, pulling James with her.

“What’s happened? Where is he?”

“Tanner pulled him out of here an hour ago. He is upstairs in E Branch. They are going to sequester him. I don’t know why, but please get up there and find out what is going on.” R said as she pushed the call button.

“Sequester? What about his daughter? He can’t be hidden and locked away. He has a child to take care of.” Bond started to argue with her.

“I know . . . but something has happened and they want Q isolated. All of Q Branch has been put on lock down and no one is allowed to leave. Please, get to Q. He needs you now.” The door of the lift opened and James rushed inside. He pressed the button for E Branch and saw R watching him as the doors closed.

As soon as the doors opened onto E Branch, Bond knew exactly where Q was. He could hear the younger man shouting.

“SHE IS MY DAUGHTER! WHO WOULD BE BETTER AT FINDING HER THAN ME?!”

James stepped into the waiting room for M’s office. Eve was standing by the door to her boss’s office. She was chewing at her thumbnail with her eyes were fixed on the door to Tanner’s office. She nodded to the door when she saw Bond.

“They are in there.”

“What happened?” Bond could still hear the Quartermaster arguing.

“His daughter . . . Elizabeth disappeared from school today. She was their before the break but afterwards she was missing. M and Tanner believe it was a kidnapping to manipulate Q into committing treason.” Eve said as she worried her thumbnail some more.

“They must be joking! What does the police say?” Bond growled.

“They think it’s a parental kidnapping. They are trying to see if Q’s ex is in the country. The Met doesn’t know exactly what Q does here. They were told he was an analyst.”

The door opened and Tanner looked out at the two people.

“Oh Bond, good you are here. Come in.” Tanner was flushed and seemed anxious.

Bond straightened his tie and prepared himself to do battle. He marched into the room. M was sitting casually in a chair as Q paced rapidly around the room. Tanner went and took his seat behind his desk.

“Bond, there has been a situation . . .” Tanner started.

“Situation! Situation! My daughter is not a situation!”

Bond could see the anger brewing behind Mallory’s eyes and the frustration in Tanner’s.

“Yes, sir. I have heard. Eve informed me that Elizabeth Park was kidnapped from school today.” Bond said coolly. “You want me to go after the kidnappers?”

Tanner and Mallory shared a look, then Tanner turned back to Bond. “Ah . . . no. We want you to escort the Quartermaster to a safe house and keep him there until we can assess the situation and a retrieval of the child can be made.”

Bond couldn’t believe it. Tanner spoke as if Lizzie was a briefcase or a computer disc. The term retrieval caused the operative to believe that Lizzie’s safety wasn’t even a consideration to the two executives.

“Sir?” Bond questioned wanting to have a different response from Tanner.

“We don’t know who took Q’s daughter. It could be a simple kidnapping or it could be an attempt by a foreign government to make Q do as they want. Either way we must protect the Quartermaster and prevent anyone coercing him. If he is removed from the equation then any threat they make to the child becomes a moot point.” Malloy explained distinctly.

“ANY THREAT TO MY CHILD IS NOT A MOOT POINT!” Q shouted. James agreed with him.

Bond immediately envisioned Lizzie’s hazel eyes looking up at him. Her small pouty mouth so much like Q’s. He would see that terrible and violent things to happen to anyone who cause a single tear to come to that child.

“Sir, surely allowing the Quartermaster to aid in his child’s rescue would be beneficial?” Bond suggested.

“No, it is procedure to isolate and sequester any executive who has been compromised like Q has. He must leave now and by force if necessary. That is why you are here. You are to keep the Quartermaster with you at all times until we know the whereabouts of his daughter and she is returned.” Mallory stated coldly. “The safe house is expecting the two of you.”

Bond straightened himself up.

“Yes, sir. We will leave immediately.” Bond said sharply, like a soldier receiving an order.

“No, we will not!” Screamed Q.

James took Q by the upper arm and pulled the young man with him out of the room. He rushed Q passed Eve as she stood dumbstruck. James pushed the button for the lift while Q was still arguing. When the door opened, James shoved Q into the lift. Q spun on the man but James ignored him to push the button to close the doors.

“How could you do this to her?! I thought you like her! She’s just a child!” Q shouted.

“Q, just shut up.”

“Bond!”

“What do you need to find her?” Bond asked as he pushed the button for the parking garage.

“How could you be so . . . What!?”

“What do you need to find her?” Bond asked again.

“My computer and access to the CCTV.” Q said more calmly. “You’ll help me?”

“Of course. We can’t go to Q Branch. There are guards on the doors. Who do you trust the most down there?”

“Everyone of them, but . . . R . . . R and Margo and TJ.” Q said.

The doors opened and Bond pulled Q out of the lift and down the hallway. He pulled out his mobile and he typed in a text.

“We will wait here to see if she will help us.” Bond said. He glanced over at Q. The younger man looked like he was going to jump out of skin. The answer came almost immediately. “She says to meet her at the south entrance.”

James and Q walked quickly to the blonde’s car. James jumped into the driver’s seat and Q tried to calm himself. He was shaking badly. Bond revved the engine before he pulled out of his parking space and out of the carpark.

Just as the men rounded the corner, they saw R step out of the building on the south side. She had Q’s messenger bag clutched in her arms. She rushed over to the car as James pulled over to the kerb. Q lowered the window and R passed the messenger bag through.

“Your computer is inside. Also a set of ear pieces. TJ is going through the CCTV right now and Margo is running facial recognition on it. No one from E Branch has been down yet so I think we can feed you information until they do. We are downloading everything we can get and will be sending it to you within half an hour.”

Q reached up and took the woman’s hand. “Thank you, Anna.”

“If we had known what had happened before, Brandon, we would have been there right with you. Now bring our girl home.” She squeezed Q’s hand then let go.

James nodded to the woman and then quickly drove off and disappeared into the traffic.

~Q~

Lizzie sat with her arms wrapped around her bent knees. She was so angry. The man had tricked her and now her daddy would be worried. She knew she wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers but none of the other girls in the school would talked to her. They had all been very mean to her when she started attending just a few weeks earlier. And the man came to the school fence every day to walk his puppy. Lizzie had stuck her small hand through the fence and the man let his puppy lick her fingers.

Then today he came without the puppy. He told her the dog had run away from him. He asked her if she would help him look for the little dog. They were friends and surely she would help him find his lost puppy. Lizzie glanced around and the teachers were talking to each other on the other side of the yard. The other students were playing without her and ignoring her. Lizzie agreed and the man helped lift her over the fence. He quickly took her by the hand and led her away.

When they had reached his panel van, he said he need to get the puppy’s lead out of the back. He opened the door and Lizzie saw the small dog inside the vehicle, cowering inside a wire cage. Before Lizzie could say anything the stranger had picked her up and pushed her inside the van. Slamming the doors closed as soon as she was inside.

It was dark inside the van and the puppy was whimpering in its cage. Lizzie was scared and she began to cry. She pounded on the doors but the man didn’t open them. She heard him get into the cab of the van and start the engine. Then she could feel the vehicle driving away. She started to shout and cry out.

“Let me go! My daddy won’t know where I am!” But the man kept driving.

When the van stopped moving, they were in a garage somewhere. It was dark and Lizzie couldn’t see very well where they were. The man pulled Lizzie from the van and dragged her down a set of stairs into a basement. It was a large room with several pieces of furniture. There was a camera on a tripod and large silver umbrellas attached to lights.

The man pushed Lizzie into a small room and closed the door. She was now in complete darkness. The only light was what little came through the crack under the door. Lizzie was still crying as she sat in the corner of the room and waited.

She thought she had been waiting forever, then the door opened and the man pushed in a plastic plate with a sandwich on it.

“Eat.” He said before he slammed the door and locked it.

Lizzie could only see the outline of the food in the weak light. She crawled forward and looked at the plate. It was a pickle sandwich.

Now she was angry. The man had tricked her. He had taken her from her school. Her father would be worried and now he tried to feed her pickles.

Lizzie stood up and started kicking at the door while hitting it with her closed fists.

“LET ME OUT OR ELSE!” She shouted.

After just a few minutes the man opened the door again. He glared down at the little girl.

“Shut up if you know what’s good for ‘ya.” He sneered.

“Let me go if you know what’s good for you!”

“Why, what are you going to do?” He laughed.

“Me? Nothing, but wait until my daddy and Uncle James gets here. Then you will be in real trouble.”

“As if . . .” He slammed the door again in Lizzie’s face.

The young girl shouted at the closed door.

“Daddy and Uncle James will make you pay!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me.


	6. Desperation Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uncle James is angry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for your wonderful comments and support.

Desperation Part two

The harsh light from the exposed bulb was bright and hurt Lizzie’s eyes. She had been in the dark so long that when the kidnapper had finally turned the light on in her small cell, she had to cover her eyes from the glare.

Lizzie was huddled in the back corner of the room. Her knees drawn up and close to her chest. Her hands and face were dirty from her little fists hitting the door and pounding on the walls. She had heard other children nearby but they were too distant to speak to them. The man opened the door and tossed in a pink dress with shinny beads sewn into the tulle. He also tossed a small crown and a set of fairy wings made out of wire and netting.

“Put these on.” He growled at her.

“No.” She didn’t move from the corner.

“Do as you are told or else.”

“No!” She shouted back at the man.

He took several threatening steps towards the child but Lizzie just pulled herself tighter into a ball. She was terrified but she wasn’t going to let the evil man know that.

“You better do as you’re told or else . . .”

“Else what?” Lizzie forced herself to hold the man’s glare.

“You’ll be sorry!”

Lizzie then smiled. “When my Uncle James gets here, you’ll be really sorry!”

The man started laughing as he turned and walked out of the small room that was Lizzie’s cell. She could hear him lock the door again but this time he left the light on. Lizzie glared at the dress he left on the floor.

With the man gone, Lizzie let herself start to shake and be visible scared. A tear traveled down her dirty face.

“Please Daddy . . . Uncle James . . . find me.” She whispered.

~Q~

James unlocked the door of his flat and let Q inside. The young man glanced around then went to the couch and set up his laptop.

“Why are we here, Bond?” Q asked as he quickly established a connection to Bond’s secure Wi-Fi.

“This is the last place M or Tanner would think to look for us. Now, tell me where to go and get our girl.”

Q glanced up at the blonde when he said ‘ _our girl’_. Q wondered when did Lizzie become this important to the Bond. Q knew he didn’t have time to devote to the question and set it aside for another time. He quickly opened the email from TJ and read the message.

“The CCTV is a no go. The kidnapper was parked in a dead zone. No cameras around his vehicle. We can see him pick Lizzie up and lift her over the fence of the playground, but then he disappears. Ten cars are seen leaving the area within ten minutes of Lizzie going off with him. Another fifteen in the next twenty minutes. She could be in any of them.” Q’s voice was tense.

James moved closer and sat down beside the younger man. He watched the video replay of the man talking to Lizzie then the little girl looking around. She seemed to nod her head, then the man lifted her up over the fence. The two walked off, hand in hand, then vanish.

“It looks like she knew him. She is talking to him.” James commented.

“You mean he had been stalking her for several days prior to the kidnapping?”

“Yes. This doesn’t feel like a terrorist threat. Did Lizzie know Katherine’s new boyfriend?”

“Yes, and that is not him. Besides, I already checked. Katherine and the boyfriend are still in New Zealand. You’re thinking this is a random kidnapping aren’t you?” Q said looking at James.

The ramifications of it being a random kidnapping meant it would almost impossible to track the man down.

“Q, we can’t give up hope . . .”

“Bond, I . . . I know it’s illegal and super paranoid of me . . . but . . .” Q looked away from Bond.

“You put a tracker on her.” It was a simple statement, but the meaning behind it was vast.

“It’s in her shoe. I was afraid if anything ever happened . . . if anyone ever . . . well they might change her clothes but they probably wouldn’t change her shoes.”

Bond wrapped his hand over Q’s forearm and squeezed it.

“No, I don’t think you are paranoid. Thank God you did it. Can you call up the signal?”

Q didn’t answer the man but started typing quickly. Within a few seconds a map of London came up on the screen. The icon for the program download spun offensively as the two watched it.

“The tracker is the same kind we use for the double ‘O’s, but I didn’t want to inject it into her. So I slipped it into the heel of her right shoe of each pair she owns. Only I know the code for them.”

The map enlarged and showed East London. Bond grabbed one of the comm units that R had given them. He slipped it into his ear as he stood. He went over to the bookcase and pulled several volumes of Dickens down. Behind the books was a small black gun safe with a combination lock. James dialed in the correct numbers and the box opened. He removed the Walther and the two loaded clips.

“Give me a location when you have one.” James said as he slipped the magazine into the gun and pulled the action back; loading a round into the chamber.

“Is that one of my Walthers?” Q asked when he glanced up from the computer screen.

“Yes, the one from Berlin.” He slipped the gun into his shoulder holster.

“You said you lost it at the bottom of the Rhine.” Q accused.

“Well, you never know when you might want to have an untraceable firearm.”

Without thinking twice about it, James stepped forward and took Q’s face between both of his hands. He quickly bent down and kissed the man’s lips.

“Let me know when you have a location and I will bring her home.”

Before Q could say anything, Bond was rushing from the flat and closing the door. Within minutes, Q could hear the rev of the engine over Bond’s mic, in his ear. At the same moment, the computer program had a location.

“Mile’s End, Bond. Near St. Mary’s.” Q gave Bond the exact address. “I’m trying to find some kind of building schematics but it’s an old semi-detached. I don’t think I will be able to . . .”

“Don’t worry about that, Q. Just hack into the CCTV around there and see if there is any surprises waiting for me.”

“Already there, Bond.” Q said as he pulled up a split screen between the CCTV and the map showing the red blip of Lizzie’s tracker.

Bond drove rapidly through the traffic. Just as he turned down the street Q came back onto the microphone.

“The CCTV picked up one person . . . the man from the video at the school. He left an hour ago but has just returned. I haven’t seen anyone else enter or leave the house. I haven’t seen any motion from the windows . . . no curtains moving or faces appearing.”

“So one definite target but total numbers unknown.” James said slipping into mission mode.

“Yes, Bond.” Q watched as James’ car drove passed the front garden of the small house. The low brick wall was crumbling and the metal gate was hanging lopsided on its hinges.

Bond drove down the street and parked. He checked his weapon one more time before he got out of the car.

“Access?”

“Front door, visible from the street. Back door leads directly into a garage at the rear of the house. It looks like it was built on after the initial construction. The garage is right on the ally. Walled gardens all around it. Only visible by second story windows from three houses. All those houses appear empty.”

“Back door it is.”

Bond veered off the street and down the constricted path between the two buildings. It opened up onto a narrow alley, only wide enough for one vehicle to pass. He quickly came up to the garage door behind the house that Lizzie’s signal was coming from.

Bond glanced over his shoulder, checking the windows that could look down on him. He didn’t see anyone watching him, so he grabbed hold of the doorknob and twisted it. It was locked. He looked around one more time, then shoved his shoulder hard into the brittle wood. The frame snapped. The sound of breaking wood was loud. Even over the ear piece and Q hissed when he heard it.

Bond opened the door and stepped into the garage. The white panel van was parked inside the small windowless building. In front of it was a narrow set of steps leading up to another wooden door. Bond rushed around the van and went to the door. He glanced in through the window into a dimly lit kitchen.

“Where in the house, Q?”

“North east corner. I can’t tell which floor.”

Just then Bond saw a man walk passed the window. Bond ducked back against the wall, hiding himself from the stranger. The man inside the house hadn’t seen him. He went to the refrigerator and took out a jar of pickles. On a paper plate, he placed the pickles on a piece of cheap white store bought bread. He grabbed a bottle of water and the plate, then went to a door inside the kitchen. Bond watched as the man unlocked the door and started down a set of stairs.

Bond’s hand wrapped tightly around the doorknob and he twisted the handle. This time the door opened without force. He stepped into the kitchen. The room smelled of old spoiled food and sour sweat. He could hear the man’s heavy footsteps on the wooden treads of the stairs.

Bond removed the gun from the holster and followed silently down the stairs. The hall was dark but at the end he could see a light. The staircase opened up into a larger room with photographic equipment. There was a bed and a painted backdrop. Bond suddenly felt very sick.

The stranger opened another door. There was a light on in the room but Bond couldn’t see anything else.

“You’re not dressed.” The stranger growled.

“I said no!” Bond heard Lizzie’s voice.

He surged forward.

“You’re going to regret being a little . . .”

Bond crashed the edge of his gun into the side of the man’s head. The man grunted and dropped the pickle sandwich and the bottle of water. Bond hit him again then kicked the kidnapper’s legs out from underneath him.

“UNCLE JAMES!” Lizzie shouted.

The small child rushed forward and James swept her up into his arms.

“Q, I’ve got her!”

“GET HER OUT OF THERE!” Q shouted over the com link.

“Copy that.”

James twisted and started to leave.

“No, Uncle James! There are others.” Lizzie said as her little arms wrapped around James’ neck.

“What?”

“I heard others . . . I heard them crying. They are down here with me.”

James looked around and saw three other doors. He took Lizzie over to the stairs and set her down gently.

“You promise to stay right here for me. Okay?”

“Yes.”

“And if that bad guy wakes up, you run as fast as you can out of here. Go upstairs and out the kitchen door to the garage. Just run as fast as you can. Your daddy will be watching and he will send the police.”

Lizzie nodded her head in agreement.

James slowly approached the first door. He listened for a moment then opened it. The room was small like the room Lizzie had been kept in. There was a mattress and a blanket but no one was in there. He went to the second door and listened. He could hear crying. He opened the door and swept the room with the barrel of the gun.

In the corner was a small child. Younger than Lizzie. She was shaking and crying. James put his gun back in its holster, then knelt down. Holding his arms open to try and invite the child in. The young girl was terrified and wouldn’t move.

“You’re safe now. It’s okay.” James tried to talk softly but the child was too traumatized. James tried to move closer but the girl started to scream. James backed away.

“It’s okay.” James turned to see Lizzie speaking to the other little girl over James’ shoulder. “This is Uncle James. He is a good guy. He won’t hurt you.”

The little girl looked at Lizzie then James. She slowly stood up but stayed in the corner. Lizzie stepped around James and walked up to her. Lizzie took the frighten girl’s hand and walked her out.

“Lizzie, I told you to stay by the stairs.” Bond said as the two girls walked passed him.

“She remind me of you, Bond.” Q said over the com link. “Never doing what you are told during a mission. Now get out of there.”

“One more door, Q . . . then we are gone.”

Bond opened the last door and found a girl a year or two older than Lizzie. This child came quickly when she saw the other two girls waiting by the stairs. As they started to walk out the older child tugged on James’ hand.

“He took photographs of us.” She whispered.

James looked down at her, then back at the stairs.

“Down stairs? In that room?”

The girl nodded her head. James looked at Lizzie, but Lizzie shook her head no.

“Girls wait for me in the kitchen. I will be a minute.” James turned and went back down stairs to the man in the little room.

“Bond, what are you doing?” Q asked when he realized James had left the girls alone.

“Making a point, Q.”

For the next few minutes, Q heard grunts and groans. He heard the sound of bones breaking and pleas for someone to stop. Then he heard James shoes as they climbed up the stairs.

“Police on the way yet?” James asked as he led the girls out the front of the house.

“I called them as soon as I heard you on the stairs. Is there someone left to arrest?”

“Depends on how fast they get here.”

~Q~

Q paced back and forth through James’ flat as he waited. It had been half an hour since Bond had handed the girls over to police. Q had called M immediately and explained what the two of them had done. M cursed Q for not trusting him, but was relieved to know Lizzie was safe. He had promised the Quartermaster that he would prevent Bond from getting into any trouble with the Met.

Q heard the key being inserted in the lock and he rushed for the door just as Bond was opening it.

“LIZZIE!” “DADDY!” Father and daughter shouted simultaneously.

Q wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her tight to his body. At the same time he reached for James and pulled him into a one arm hug. Surprised, the blonde kept one arm around Lizzie and bought his other arm around Q. Together the three people held each other.

No one even commented when Q began to cry.

 

 


	7. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas eve in the Q household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of all the comments on how much people like Lizzie, I decided to write some more chapters. And let's face it, she is too much fun to give up now. So I will be adding about six more chapters about the young girl and her two spies. Thank you to everyone who has commented and helped me through this. Especially, ff_fan.

Christmas

It had been five days since Bond had rescued Lizzie from the pedophile. There had been some questions as to how the man had ended up with a broken nose, jaw, collar bone and dislocated knee cap, but after the police had searched his house and found evidence of child pornography, the questions were dropped.

The younger girl had been missing for two months and the old girl for almost a year. The parents and the press couldn’t stop praising the police for returning the children. Bond and MI6 were never mentioned. Both of the other girls were extremely traumatized by their experience but Lizzie only had one night of nightmares. Q on the other hand was still tormented with the idea of someone taking Lizzie from him. He chose to take several days off from work and quickly find Lizzie a new school.

James didn’t admit to being worried about the child’s safety, but somehow he found himself every evening over at Q’s flat either fixing dinner or helping Q sift through the various schools that guaranteed Lizzie’s protections.

It was Christmas Eve, and James had appeared at the door with a Christmas tree. The small pine tree was in a large pot and James explained that Q could put it on his balcony after the holidays. Q looked suspiciously at Bond but was relieved to see the tree. He had been so upset about Lizzie he had completely forgotten about Christmas and not prepared anything other than few presents he had bought months before.

James arrived not only with the tree and the decorations to put on it, he had also purchased all the ingredients for a grand Christmas dinner for the following day.

Q was wondering if James planned on spending the night or if he planned on returning early the next day. They had not discussed the kiss he had given Q just before James had rushed off to save Lizzie. Q wasn’t sure if it was just an impulse on Bond’s behalf or if he should read more into the moment.

Q was sitting on the couch in his living room as Lizzie and James decorated the Christmas tree. The telly was showing the classic, ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ and the soft singing of Whosville was playing in the background. The lingering scent of the meal James had cooked for dinner mixed nicely with the fresh scent of the pine tree. James’ presence in Q’s flat had quickly become familiar and oddly relaxing. The young man wondered how he had gone from living alone with two cats to living with a daughter and part-time nanny, named Sophia, and a trained assassin who frequently made supper for them. If anyone had told them this was going to happen six months ago, Q would have demanded they be seen by psych.

Q was reading his private emails and catching up on some correspondence as James held Lizzie up to hang an ornament on one of the higher limbs.

“There Daddy, isn’t it beautiful.”

Q glanced up and smiled. Lizzie was reaching out for the shiny orb as James protectively held her in his arms.

“Yes, Kitten. It is beautiful.” Q wasn’t thinking about the decoration.

His computer pinged notifying him of an incoming email. He opened the messaged then cursed.

“Shit, shit, shit.”

James turned to see the young man tapping viciously at the keys on his computer.

“Q?” The young man glanced up and James saw Q was angry. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s . . .” His eyes glanced over at his daughter’s face. “Nothing. Lizzie, dear, would you please go and go get ready for bed.”

“But Daddy, we’re not done with the tree yet. And we still have to put out the cookies for Saint Nicholas.”

Q smiled at his daughter. “I know dear, but go brush your teeth first and change your clothes, then I promise to let you stay up and finish the tree. We might even hear the sleigh bells if you are really good.”

Lizzie slid down from James’ grasp and landed on her tiny feet.

“Daddy, don’t be so silly. Don’t you know that Saint Nicholas travels by Tardis now?”

Q blinked at his daughter for a moment, then slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead.

“I forgot. He and the Doctor travel together, now. Okay. Teeth and nightie. Off you go.”

Lizzie dashed out of the room and towards the bathroom. James and Q watched the little girl as she closed the bathroom door.

“Okay, Lizzie’s out of earshot. What is it?” James said turning back to Q.

“Katherine.”

“Your ex? I thought she was in New Zealand?”

“I did too. Apparently my former in-laws notified her about the kidnapping. I don’t know why. They didn’t even call to see if Lizzie was alright afterwards. Well, Katherine has decide she wants Lizzie back. She flew back two days ago and said she wants to take her back before the New Year.”

“WHAT?” James shouted. Then he glanced over at the closed bathroom door. “That can’t be right?” James whispered.

“She wants to come by and make arrangements to take Lizzie back to New Zealand with her.” Q started rubbing his temples. “I can’t let her. I can’t let Lizzie go now.”

“What excuse is she giving you?” James asked looking concerned. He had grown quite fond of his Quartermaster and the man’s daughter.

“She says Marcus finally agreed to let Lizzie live with them. He apparently wants a family and he’s chosen my daughter to be it. What am I going to do, Bond?” Q looked helpless. James didn’t like it. Bond couldn’t ever use the word helpless with Q. He realized he grown to respect the young man as much as growing fond of him.

“Why do you have to agree to let her go? Katherine left Lizzie here with you. You’re just as much her parent as she is. So what if she tells everyone you work for MI6. She doesn’t know your real position. No one outside of SIS knows you are the Quartermaster.”

Q collapsed on the couch. His head in his hands.

“I don’t know if I can explain this to you.”

James sat down beside Q and started to rub the man’s shoulders. “Q, if you haven’t figured it out yet, you and your daughter are more than just friends to me. I want us to be more than just coworkers.”

Q glanced up at the man. Q’s hazel green eyes moved across James’ face looking for any sign of deceit.

“I was hoping . . . I thought maybe you might feel the same as . . . I mean, I had always . . . damn it, Bond. Why do you always make me tongue tied?”

James smiled at the man.

“Just tell me, Q. Tell me whatever you think I need to know.”

Q frowned but nodded his head.

“Katherine and I grew up together. I guess we were each other’s first love. It was like everyone expected us to be together. I never questioned it. She followed me to Uni and we moved in together before we even knew what we wanted. I think we would have broken up and separated but she got pregnant with Lizzie and . . . Well, we got married two months before Lizzie was born. Katherine wasn’t very happy after that. She didn’t like school and she didn’t like the fact I was going for my postgraduate. And she didn’t like me anymore. She had an affair before Lizzie was a year old. Then she left before Lizzie was two. She demanded a divorce when I started working for MI6. I hate to say it, but I was kind of relieved. I only contested the divorce for Lizzie’s sake. I thought she needed to be with both parents. I didn’t know really how toxic it had become until it was over. Besides, M insisted. She was grooming me for the Quartermaster’s position and she thought Katherine was a disadvantage.”

“Why was your ex-wife a disadvantage?” James asked.

“Katherine is rather spontaneous. She never thinks things through.” Q said trying to explain his ex-wife. “M said it would not be wise for my partner to be so unpredictable, but I always found it . . . adorable.”

“So you like spontaneous?” James asked learning something new about the man.

“Yes, it’s nice to be surprised. Well, I enjoy nice surprises.”

James’ eyes fixed on the hazel ones watching him unassumingly. Suddenly, Bond leaned forward and cupped both hands on either side of Q’s face. He gently but firmly pulled the young man forward and kissed him. A solid push of lips, and soft drag of a tongue. Q gasped as the tip of James’ tongue pushed forward slightly, then retreated. Only to be chased by Q’s tongue.

Q’s hands slowly came up and smoothed over the plains of James’ chest then around the man’s neck. The two men kissed for several seconds. Tasting and hinting at things getting more interesting. Then they heard the laughter.

James pulled back but kept Q’s face clasped between his hands. He glanced over his shoulder to see Lizzie standing in her little white nightgown with the pink rosebuds dotting across the fabric.

“Daddy, you’re doing it wrong.”

Q blinked several times then raised an eyebrow. “I am?”

“Yes, you’re supposed to be under the mistletoe.” Lizzie pointed to the sprig of greenery hanging from the doorway leading into the kitchen.

James’ glacial blue eyes followed Lizzie’s pointing finger. He saw the mistletoe that he himself had hung there. He couldn’t help himself, as a smug expression came to him, followed quickly by laughter.

“You know she’s right.” James said turning back to Q. “Maybe we should try again?”

Q leaned back. His pale skin flushed a lovely light pink. He stood up and moved away, out of James’ reach.

“Maybe . . . later. When we don’t have an audience.” Q turned and looked at his daughter. “Kitten, I need to tell you something.”

“What Daddy?” Lizzie came closer as Q knelt down in front of his daughter. “Mommy’s in London. She wants to see us.”

“Oh?” Lizzie didn’t look pleased by the information.

“Yes, dear. She wants to talk to you about going to New Zealand with her.”

“But I don’t want to go.” Lizzie rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Q’s neck and hugged him. “I want to stay here with you and Uncle James.”

“Well, I want you too. I want you here with me every single moment, but . . .”

Q wrapped his arms around his daughter’s body. He closed his eyes as he buried his face into her curls. He had been kept away from his daughter for four years. And now, after having her for just a few months, and the kidnapping, he knew he never wanted to be separated from her again.

James could see both Q and Lizzie were shaking with fear of being pulled apart again. It settled heavy in his chest, right under his ribs. He couldn’t let the two people he had grown so close to, be hurt by this apparently selfish woman.

“Q, didn’t she sign over her custodial rights to you?” James asked.

“I sent her the paperwork, but she never got around to it.” Q looked up at Bond over Lizzie’s shoulder.

“But she left her here with you and left the country.”

“Yes.”

“And did she make any contact with you until tonight?”

“No, not even for Lizzie’s birthday.”

James nodded his head. He stood up and moved to stand behind Lizzie. Resting his hand on top of the child’s head, he said.

“Lizzie, don’t worry. You are going to stay here with Daddy. I promise.” James took out his mobile and started to type out a text. Q knitted his eyebrows as his expression questioned the blonde. “I believe Tanner will would be able to help.”

Just then Bond’s mobile rang. James smiled and answered it. “Bill, I need a favor.” Then after a moment. “This favor you will want to do. It’s for Q.” James turned and walked into the kitchen.

Lizzie turned and looked at her father. Q kissed her forehead and said, “Don’t worry darling. I won’t let you go.”

Lizzie smiled and hugged her father. James came out of the kitchen with a smug look on his face.

“Okay, Lizzie, time for us to finish decorating this tree.” James hurried forward and took the child’s hand. He pulled her over to the tree and the two started hanging more ornaments.

Q stood and walked up behind James. He wrapped his arms around James’ waist from the back and rested his chin on James’ shoulder.

“I don’t know what you have planned but if you can keep my daughter her with me, I’ll . . . I’ll grant you any wish.”

James twisted his head to try and look a Q. “Even an exploding pen?”

“Even an exploding pen.” Q smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments always welcomed and appreciated.


	8. Meeting the Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q has his showdown with Kathrine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit that some of the comments were better than what I have planned for Katherine. But James finally meets the woman and Q finally recognizes how much people care about him.

Meeting the Enemy

Kathrine Crookshank didn’t even knock on the door before entering the small conference room. She breezed in as if she owned the place.

“Who are you?” she asked. The woman seemed surprised to see the man in the expensive suit sitting beside her ex-husband.

Q had received a message to meet his ex-wife at the solicitor’s office. Q was unfamiliar with who the solicitor was. Worried, Q feared Katherine must have changed representatives. Her last representative, although shady, was predictable. A new, more determined solicitor could make Q’s limited visitation rights disappear.

“You’re the one bursting in here, maybe I should ask you that question.” James said smoothly, ignoring the woman’s infuriated tone.

“I’m Brandon’s wife . . .” She snapped back at Bond.

“You mean ex-wife.” James smiled impertinently at her.

Katherine glared. Following her was her solicitor. A toady little man, with thinning brown hair on his very round head. His eyes were a washed out brown and his face always seemed florid as if he had been drinking.

“Brandon, why did you bring me here? I need to pack for my return to New Zealand with Elizabeth.”

“I thought you sent the message for us to meet here.” Q glanced over at James and realized the man knew more than he was telling. “Is there something you need to tell me?” Q whispered to Bond.

“Well, I see you at least got a better looking solicitor this time, but it’s not going to change anything.” Katherine continued.

“Bond is not my solicitor. I call Mister Debenhams and told him about this meeting. I’m sure he will be here shortly. And let me assure you . . . everything has changed.” Q said in an exasperated tone.

James glanced at Q, before he leaned back in his chair. With well-trained eyes, Bond regarded the woman. Katherine Crookshank was only an inch shorter than himself, Bond estimated. But he noticed she wore very high heel boots that gave her at least three inches of extra height. She had long pale blonde hair, she wore very straight. He noticed her eyebrows were dark brown and didn’t even come close to matching the shade of hair color. It was apparent, she dyed her hair the pale yellow to accentuate her tanned skin.

“I want this settled. Marcus has agreed to raise Elizabeth and I’m going to take her home with me.”

“She is home. You left her with me five months ago. You said you didn’t want her any more. She wants to stay here with me.”

“She’s six, Brandon, she doesn’t know what she wants.”

“She’s seven, Katherine, and I think you will find she has very specific ideas about what she wants.” Q glared at the woman.

The woman seemed confused for a moment when she realized she didn’t know the age of her own child. She shook her head then pulled herself back together.

“It doesn’t matter. Marcus decided he wants a family and I’m taking Elizabeth back with me.”

James smiled. “No, I don’t believe you are.”

Katherine glared at the man then spit out. “Who the devil do you think you are to tell me what I can and can’t do?”

“Me? No one you would want to know.” He smiled like a shark. “I’m just telling you, all the same, that you will not be taking Lizzie Park out of the country.”

“And why not?”

“Because you no longer have Brandon wrapped around your finger. He will fight for his daughter this time. And I will be there to support him the whole way.”

The woman’s mouth fell open. She was going to attack but saw the cold glint in Bond’s eyes. The same vicious stare he used before someone died by his hand. She glanced back at Q.

“Brandon, tell him to leave.” Katherine demanded. Feeling overwhelmed by the presence of the stranger.

“No.” Q said finally pulling his shoulders back as he sat up taller. “James is my friend and he is welcome here. I told you things have changed and James is one of them.”

Katherine’s face flushed red with anger. She was just about to yell something when there was a solid knock on the door. James smiled as the door opened and two other people stepped into the room.

Bill Tanner stood in his rumbled raincoat. He had a stack of files in his hands as well as a battered briefcase. Behind him was a smartly dressed woman in her late forties.

“Perfect timing, Tanner. Miss Crookshank has been told she will not get her way this time.”

James stood as Tanner and the woman entered the small conference room. Katherine eyed them suspiciously as Q just glanced questioningly at James.

“Miss Crookshank?” Tanner asked Katherine as he sat down. He spread the files out in front of him. He also set his briefcase down on the table and opened it.

“Yes, who are you?”

“I am Mister Park’s barrister, Martha Costello.” The smallish woman answered calmly before Tanner could. James held her chair to sit down beside Tanner. She had shoulder length blonde hair that was beginning to show some hint of grey. She had a round face and quick clear blue eyes. Wearing very little makeup and dressed in her midnight blue suit, she looked very formidable.

“Barrister? What happened to your solicitor, Dembenhams?” Katherine asked looking back at Q.

“Mister Park has requested my assistance in regards to the custody of his child, Elizabeth Park.” Martha Costello continued ignoring the other woman’s question. “Since we will be taking you to court to show your unfitness for guardianship of the minor, Mister Park has chosen me.”

“Me! Unfit!” Katherine started shouting. Her solicitor patted her forearm to try and calm her. Katherine just shook the man off.

“Katherine, please. Your shouting never did any good.” Q begged his ex-wife to calm down.

Martha Costello glanced from Katherine over to Tanner. The small woman smiled and nodded her head. She held out her hand and Tanner handed her the first file set out in front of him.

“I have here signed depositions from various witnesses regarding the diligence Mister Park has shown in caring for his daughter. They are from school teachers, Lizzie’s pediatrician and Mister Park’s coworkers.” She set down the file and smiled as Tanner handed the second file to Ms. Costello. “In this file, I have signed depositions regarding you, Miss Crookshank. How you neglected to attend any of your daughter’s ‘Parent’s Evenings’ at her former school. How you failed to maintain a job while you lived here in England and the fact that you are presently unemployed in New Zealand. I also have statements from individuals who are familiar with both you and Mister Park, and feel Lizzie would be cared for better by her father.”

The flush on Katherine’s face deepened as she got angrier and angrier. Bond leaned closer to Q just in case the woman attacked.

“I’m still her mother!”

“Yes, and you left her behind without a formal arrangement while you chased after your . . . boyfriend?” Costello raised her eyebrow questioningly on the word boyfriend.

“Fiancé!”

Costello smiled knowingly. “We all know that is not true, Miss Crookshank. Marcus Bellows is still married to his wife. Carrie Bellows.”

“He filed for divorce.” Katherine crossed her arms over her chest.

“Is that what he told you?” Costello questioned. “No decree of divorce has been file anywhere in England or New Zealand with Bellows being listed as a plaintiff.”

Katherine couldn’t help herself. Her face showed shock. Obviously she had believed him. Katherine had thought if she had Lizzie with her, she could induce him to marry her. Knowing she was quickly losing control, she glanced back and forth between the other people in the room. Her eyes finally landing on Q.

“Brandon, why are you letting her do this to me?” Katherine pleaded with Q.

“Katherine, I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep Lizzie with me.” Q said quietly but firmly. His resolve fixed now that he knew he had ammunition to fight against his ex-wife with.

Katherine stared at Q for a moment, then said. “I tell everyone you are a spy!”

“If you make such a statement in court or anywhere else, you will be in violation of this order.” Costello handed Katherine the third file. “It is a court order preventing you or your solicitor from ever discussing anything regarding Mister Park’s employment. I am sure you are aware of a ‘Super Injunction’?”

Katherine looked like she was about to explode.

“We will wait till tomorrow to file the request for a review of custodial rights in regard to the child Elizabeth Park, but we will win and you will lose.” The smile slipped rapidly away from Costello’s face. “Your choice is simple, Miss Crookshank. Agree to leave your child here with Mister Park as the primary care giver or completely lose all access to your child except under supervised visitations. Either way, Lizzie stays here. The question is how will you see her here?”

“Brandon! Please!” Katherine pleaded one more time.

“No, Katherine. I would have worked with you. I would have shared with you but you tried to take her away from me again. I will fight you tooth and nail to keep her now.”

James leaned into Q’s space, brushing his shoulder against younger man’s. “We will fight you together.”

Q laced his fingers with James. Katherine glared at the two men. Q could see the hatred in her brown eyes. Katherine pulled the strap of her handbag across her body, then shouted.

“You are such a bastard, Brandon! I’m sorry I ever wasted my time with you!” Katherine stood rapidly, knocking the chair over. She marched out of the room, pushing her solicitor out of her way, causing the man to drop the files he was holding. Katherine slammed the door as she left.

Martha Costello smiled and turned back to Q and James. “Sorry I couldn’t be here sooner. I was getting that injunction to prevent her from releasing information about you.”

“No . . . I just can’t believe you were able to get that much together so quickly.” Q said as he reached out to shake the woman’s hand.

“Don’t thank me. It was Mister Tanner. He called me the day after Christmas, with everything already lined up.”

Q glanced over at Tanner. The man gave a weak smile.

“I have children of my own, Q. I know how I would feel if I was forced to separated from them. I disagreed with last the M about you and your daughter. I told her it was a mistake to force you to give Lizzie up. I’ve been keeping tabs on Lizzie and your ex-wife since your divorce. I already had the files compiled.” Tanner blushed slightly as he explained.

Q wanted to rush up and hug the man. “For four years?”

“Yes, and when Bond called me on Christmas Eve, I was ready. Martha and I went to law school together. We served in the same chambers before I came to MI6. We are old friends.” Tanner smiled as Martha Costello hugged the man. She whispered something about a large soft teddy bear to Bill.

Tanner never seemed to be more to Q, than just a paper pusher for M. Suddenly, Q wondered what the man was really like outside of work. He also wondered how James knew he had been keeping track of Lizzie Park.

James leaned into Q. “That is why he such an excellent Chief of Staff. He knows everything about everybody.”

Q turned back to Ms. Costello. “Thank you anyway for your assistance.”

“Not a problem. When Bill called and told me what was happening, I agreed to help. I usually only handle criminal cases. If you want, before we go to court, I’ll have the divorce expert in my chambers step in.” She smiled again.

“Do we really have to go back to court?” Q asked.

“It would be best to have everything dealt with correctly this time. I will be letting you know when you will be need to give a deposition, but given what we already have against your ex-wife, I don’t think she will push any further to remove your daughter from England.”

“I want it to be joint custody.” Q said.

“I don’t think that is wise.” Costello responded.

“No, we need to both be there for her. Lizzie needs both her parents.”

Costello nodded and turned to Tanner.

“Bill, you owe me a that drink.” Tanner nodded and went to open the door. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mister Park . . . Mister Bond.”

“Brandon, please.” Q reached out again to shake the woman’s hand.

“My bill will be sent to you before the end of the week.”

Q blinked then nodded. Calling a high powered criminal barrister on Boxing Day should be quite a substantial bill but he knew he would happily to pay it.

As the door closed, James stepped up behind Q and wrapped his arms around the young man’s waist.

“I told you I would get your ex to back off.” James whispered into Q’s ear.

“I believe it was Tanner and Ms. Costello who got Katherine to back down. But if you insist, I might be willing to consider an exploding pen for Bill.” Q said smugly.

“I’m not asking for a pen, Q.” James leaned in and lightly kissed Q’s neck.

The young man gasped slightly as he felt the warm breath over his skin. He leaned back into James’ embrace.

“What are you asking for?” Q closed his eyes.

“I think it is time you took Lizzie’s advice.”

“Oh?”

“Yes . . .” Another soft kiss to Q’s neck.

“James would you like to go out on a date with me?” Q smiled.

“That’s a start . . .”


	9. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The official date between James and Q.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the wonderful comments. This has turned out to be a joy to write. Especially with the help of ff_fan's help.

Date Night

Q looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed. _Why the hell had he asked James Bond out on a date?_ He looked at the young man looking back at him. There was no way he was going to impress James into another date.

Q was wearing a black shirt with an emerald green window pane woven into the fabric. He was trying for conservative tonight, believing that would please Bond. Wearing his solid black waist coat that accentuated his long lean body and his solid black wool trousers that hugged his narrow waist. He looked presentable until he put on his frumpy wool jacket. The dark tweed with the leather patches made him look like he was wearing an older brother’s clothes.

Normally, he thought his wardrobe was appropriate for him. Slim trousers, of checks and plaids. Mixed colors for his jumpers and cardigans. He was geek chic and enjoyed his clothes. Now, he thought he shouldn’t even be in the same hemisphere with the likes of James ‘ _Bespoke suits’_ Bond.

He sighed again and reached for the ties he had picked up. He held up the simple green tie and a black and silver stripped one. Turning towards Lizzie, he silently asked her opinion. The child screwed her face into a frown as she shook her head.

“Neither?” Q asked. He looked back at the wardrobe.

“No, Daddy. Go without a tie. You would look better. Ties always make you look like a teacher.”

Q glanced back at his daughter. He thought they made him look older so as to give himself an air of authority. He just wasn’t aware it was negative in his daughter opinion.

“Okay, no tie.”

Q dropped the ties on chair and picked up the jar of hair product.

“No, Daddy. It makes your hair smell funny. And I don’t like how it makes it feel.”

Q looked at his daughter then back at his refection. He knew he shouldn’t be taking grooming advice from the little girl, but then again, he was taking dating advice. He sighed. It didn’t really matter anyway. There was no way he was going to get a second date with the man. Q set the jar down and dragged his fingers through his hair once. The dark curls fell into a relaxed pile on his head that reminded him of a waves across a bay.

There was a knock on the door, and Lizzie shouted. “He’s here! He’s here!”

Q rushed over, laughing, as he picked up his daughter.

“I believe he is here to see me, darling.” He said as he nuzzled into her face. Lizzie wrapped her arms around her father and kissed him lightly.

“Just make sure you tell him, he is still supposed to marry me!”

“Yes, kitten.” Q said as he carried his daughter to the living room. “I’m sure James remembers well that he is spoken for.”

James was already standing in the living room. Sophie, the nanny, having let him in. As soon as Q and Lizzie stepped in, the relaxed expression of James’ face turned into a smile that wrinkled around his eyes.

He was wearing one of his bespoke suits. The grey Italian wool with the pale blue pinstripe. He wore a silvery blue tie that caught the light in his eyes. With his silver and sapphire cuff links and the Omega watch, James looked as if he had stepped off the pages of a Paris fashion magazine.

“Uncle James!” Lizzie wiggled in Q’s grip until the man let her slip down to the floor.

“Munchkin . . .” James pulled his discerning eyes away from Q’s to the child rushing forward. James easily caught her and lifted her up. Without hesitation, the child kissed him. James smiled again and pulled her close. “How is my darling girl doing tonight?”

“It’s about time you got here. Daddy’s been ever so nervous.”

“Oh, has he?” Bond looked over just in time to see the blush slip across Q’s cheeks. “I don’t know why? He looks good enough to eat.” James purred.

“You don’t eat people, Uncle James!” Lizzie laughed.

“You don’t?” James acted surprised by the girl’s statement.

Just then Sophie walked into the living room. “Come along, Lizzie. Time for dindin.” The dark skinned woman said.

Lizzie smiled at James. “Will you come back and tell me a bed time story. One about you and Alec.”

Q choked on air. Coughing he said.

“I don’t believe you will be awake when Uncle James and I get home, darling.”

“I’ll wait up.” She offered.

“No, you won’t.” Sophie said as she claimed Lizzie from James’ arms. “Dinner, then a bath and bed.”

The young woman brought the child over to Q for a kiss goodbye.

“You have the phone number of the restaurant?” Q asked hurriedly.

“Yes, and your number and Mister Bond’s and also Mister Tanner’s if the other three don’t work. Don’t worry, Mister Park. I have everything under control. Relax and enjoy yourself.” Sophie said, having repeated the same instructions to him from earlier.

“Maybe we should stay?” Q glanced at James.

“Lizzie is safe and you hovering over her won’t make her any safer. It will just cause problems later on.” James said as he moved forward and took Q’s arm. “My car is out front and we have a reservation.”

“I thought I was taking you out to dinner.” Q said haughtily.

“Indulge me.” James purred again.

“Indulging you is like letting the lion have the keys to the butcher shop.”

James smiled and opened the door to the flat. “But oh what fun the lion and lamb will have together.”

~Q~

The restaurant was elegant but unpretentious. The service was excellent and food delicious. The two men were in a secluded section of the restaurant. A private table behind a stain glass and oak wall. There was music playing in the background but it was soft. Only an accent to the conversations around them.

Q tried to relax, but he still felt wired. He would glance at his mobile then slip it back into his pocket.

“I believe if anything happened we would be the first to know.” Bond said softly.

“I’m sorry, it’s just this is weird.”

“Q, we’ve known each other for years. What is different about being here alone eating together?”

“It’s not you or the eating . . . it’s not even Lizzie. I’m just not very good with dating.”

“What makes you say that?”

Q shrugged his shoulders. It was odd for Bond to see the young man at a loss for words.

“Tell me about Katherine.” James asked softly.

Q glanced up. “Tell you? You already know.”

“Not everything. Like how in the world did someone as smart as you end up with the likes of her.”

“We were terrible miss matched.” Q looked down, then blushed again. James reached over and took Q’s hand. Q’s eyes fixed on their hands and he seemed to relax. “We met when we were just fifteen. We started dating when we were sixteen. She was gymnast, very good actually. She was going to try out for a national team, but injured her back. A bad fall. Then she thought she should teach gymnastics but that didn’t work out. After that, she thought the world was her enemy. By the time we were twenty we had moved in together. Then married at twenty-two and divorced at twenty-four.”

James did a quick set of calculations in his head and realized Q was younger than he thought.

“Did you ever date a guy before you got married?” James asked.

“I thought about . . . a lot.” Q confessed. “But I never dated anyone while I was with Katherine. Then after the divorce, I dated a girl named Tasha. She was a banker. We only went out on few dates . . . maybe three. Then she introduced me to her friend, Benjamin.” Q quickly reached for his glass and took a sip of water. “Benjamin was my first boyfriend. He was wonderful. Tall and handsome. Very intelligent. He had stormy grey eyes that seemed to look right into me.”

“You’re making me jealous.” James said softly with no anger behind the words. Q blushed slightly and took another drink. “What happened to Benjamin?”

“Work.” Q said simply. “We dated for six months and things were getting serious. We had planned to tell our families and we were planning a future together, then Silva happened. He knew I worked for MI6 but he didn’t know what I did. He thought I was an analyst. After the bombing . . . after the Major died, I was put in command. I spent the next ten days trying to piece together a new department. I needed to establish a secure network and set up a safe haven to operate in. I never went home. I spent ten days in the same clothes and sleeping on a cot in tunnels. Finally, when I did get back to our flat, he was packing it up. He thought I was dead.”

James could feel Q tighten his grip on the blonde’s hand. He smoothed his thumb of Q’s knuckles trying to relay sympathy. He couldn’t even count how many of his relationships had been ruined by MI6’s demands. He just gave up on the idea of ever having a relationship after so many broken promises.

“It was ugly. He yelled and called me heartless. He threw things at me. I guess . . . no I really did deserve it.” Q nodded his head. His face was down cast and there was a slight waver in his voice. “He left me that night. I showered and shaved. Changed my clothes. He had already packed my things, so I called Tanner and had them moved out of our,” Q’s voice broke. “Out of our flat and into MI6. Then that was it until David.”

James leaned back into his seat. “Are you telling me, that at twenty-eight years old you’ve only dated four people?”

Q’s eyes flashed up. He tried to pull his hand away from James, but the man kept hold of it. He didn’t tighten his grip but he made it clear to Q he wasn’t going to let go. Q reached for his water glass again and took another sip.

“Well, I don’t reach your experience level, no. But I’m hardly a blushing virgin.” Q swallowed audibly.

“That’s not what I meant, Q.”

“I’m not as adventurous as some people.” Q’s eyes slipped up and captured James. Icy blue locked into warm green. James smiled.

“So says the man who lied to M and dashed off to Switzerland after me.”

“I was trying to save my neck, Bond.” Q said with normal Quartermaster bite. Bond’s laughter was no more than heavy breath.

“You order a colonic for me.”

“The wheat grass would have done you some good.”

Bond slipped his fingers away from Q’s as the waiter brought in the main course. Q seemed to slip back into his nervous self when the man appeared. Bond noticed the shift in Q and waited for the man to leave before he spoke again.

“So, I’m the fifth person who has been lucky enough to kiss you?” James said with a slight tease. Q’s eye glanced up quickly in surprise.

“Well, a . . . fourth date to kiss me.”

James took a sip of his wine then smiled. “Wonder where I’ll be numbered for other activities.”

Q’s blush was vivid and complete.

~Q~

Bond and Q walked slowly back up to the flat. Q turned just as they reached the door.

“Bond, I don’t know . . .”

James leaned forward and kissed the young man. Dry and soft lips. Nothing pushed or demanded. Q hesitated for a moment then leaned forward and returned the kiss. Eagerly reaching for the man before him. Q hummed and wrapped his arms around James’ shoulders. But just before he tightened his hold on him, James ended the kiss and pulled back from Q’s embrace.

“You should call me James.” He whispered. Q seemed to be trying to catch up with the man.

“Okay. Do you want . . .?”

“Yes, but not tonight. Not yet.” James let his fingers slip down the side of Q’s face. “Tomorrow night is New Year’s Eve. Do you have plans?”

“Ah . . . yes.” Q shook his head trying to clear and organize his thoughts. “Lizzie and I are going to stay up and watch the fireworks from the balcony.”

James smiled. “I’ll fix dinner. About eight?”

“Yes, of course, but . . .”

“Good evening Quartermaster.” James whispered again as he leaned in for a chaste kiss. “Good night, Brandon.”

Q watched as James turned slowly and walked down the hall. He was in the lift before Q remembered he was standing outside his front door. As he slipped the key into the lock, he knew without a doubt, the new year was going to have some surprises.


	10. New Year's Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q and Lizzie share New Year's Eve with James. While, Q and James come to decisions separately about how they feel about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments and support. Just three more chapters but I think you will all like them.

New Year’s Eve

It was a cold night as the three ushered in the new year. Q had Lizzie bundled up in her warmest coat and leggings. He made sure she had a wool cap on her head. Her dark curls peaked out from under the edge of the pink knit. He wrapped her in a warm blanket and held her in his arms as they watched the fireworks over the river.

James stood beside them. His attention captivated by the two people beside him instead of the firework display in the distance. James watched as father and daughter reacted together to the lights and explosions. With equal amount of wonder and excitement. Both father and daughter, wide eyed and smiling. The burst of colored light shining in their bright eyes.

A deep and unfamiliar warmth filled the blonde. A desire and a peace simultaneously. If he wasn’t such a jaded individual he might even think it was emotions. He watched almost beguiled by the pair of them. Like a pair of sprites who had captured his attention and would not let go. James could see what Q looked like as a child, reflected in his daughter’s expression as well as what Lizzie would look like as an adult, mirrored in her father’s.

“Daddy, look!” Lizzie pointed to a bright green burst of light. A sharp squeal of delight came from the child. James couldn’t help himself any more. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around both of them. Holding them tight, wanting nothing more than to just stand together like this forever.

The three stood and watched and waited for a few more minutes, but no more fireworks lit up the sky. It was the last firework burst of the night. In the distance, singing could be heard, but the evening was now slowly running down. The celebrations were ending and only the cleanup remained.

“Alright, kitten, time for bed.” Q whispered to his daughter.

“Please, Daddy, just a little bit longer.”

“No, darling.”

James reached for the child. “Here, let me get her settled. You go clean up the kitchen.”

Q hesitated, then let his daughter slip into James’ arms. Lizzie’s arms snaked around James’ neck.

“Will you tell me a bed time story?” Lizzie asked.

“How about the time I jumped out of an airplane without a parachute?”

“No!” Q interrupted James. “How about ‘Jack and Bean Stalk’?”

“Party pooper.” Lizzie said as she nuzzled into James’ shoulder.

James just smiled at the young man and turned to take Lizzie to her bedroom. Q watched as the agent, who was as ruthless and successful a killer as any double ‘O’, carefully carry his daughter into the flat. Q smiled sadly at how different everything had turned out for him. He was supposed to be a teacher but ended up working for MI6. He was to stay married to his childhood sweetheart but they had become the bitterest of enemies. The man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with left him when Benjamin thought Q was dead. And the one true constant in his life was the one person who was the most unpredictable and infuriating member of the Double ‘O’s.

Q leaned against the counter and took a sip of his champagne. The tart wine coating his tongue and causing a shiver to slide through him. He thought about Bond. How the man had always been there for the two of them once he learned of Lizzie. How James had defended him and listened to him, when no one else would. How it was James who rescued Lizzie and the other girls. That it was James who knew what to do when Katherine threatened to take Lizzie away from him. And now, after everything had calmed down, James was still here. Fixing dinner for the three of them. Spending his evenings with Q. Asking but never demanding for more.

It seemed that maybe . . . finally, Q could have it all. His career he enjoyed, his daughter with him every day, and more. A friend. A lover. Someone he didn’t have to keep secrets from. Someone he could share everything with. He forgot how much he needed it and missed it until it was finally within reach of him.

James came back into the room and moved to stand next to Q. The two men leaned back against the counter looking around the messy kitchen. The dinner dishes still on the table. The pots from the meal preparation still on the hob.

“Well, she got ‘Jack and Bean Stalk’ but I had to promise to tell her ‘Alec and James infiltrate a Thailand drug lord’s lair’ tomorrow night. You didn’t get far in cleaning up.”

“No, I didn’t.” Q glanced over at James. Then he reached over and cupped James’ face. “Thank you.”

James’ eye captured Q’s with a questioning look. “Your welcome. Now what are you thanking me for?”

“For everything.”

James smiled. “So do I get the exploding pen for New Year’s?”

“No . . .” Q laughed. “You get this.”

Q leaned forward and gently brushed his lips over James’. In an instant, the blonde returned the gesture. A kiss as his hands reached out and pulled the younger man closer. The two easily slotted their bodies together. Gentle caresses mingled with soft meaningful kisses. James hummed appreciatively as Q opened his mouth to the other’s tongue. It was several minutes of touches and tastes. Purrs and soft groans.

“Infinitely better than a pen.” James whispered as Q drew back.

The young man’s eyes were shining brightly. James brought his hand up and cupped Q’s face. A small hopeful smile on Q’s plump red lips. Q nodded and took James’ hand. Bringing it to his lips, Q kissed each knuckle. Then he gently tugged the man to follow him. James hesitated for a moment. Unsure what Q was asking of him. Then as Q turned down the hall towards his bedroom, James stepped closer. Wrapping an arm around the younger man’s shoulders, he asked.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I can’t think of a better way to start a new year.” Q said as he pulled the other man into his bedroom. They close the door and fell into each other’s arms.


	11. Self-Defense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q has a terrible fright and after hearing the truth of the situation it turns out things are maybe even worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a silly little chapter. Please enjoy.

Self-Defense

Q went rushing through the halls of MI6. Panic was pumping through his veins and his mind raced as he tried to stop thinking what could have happened.

Earlier in the day, Sophia had phone Q to tell him that she was too sick to pick Lizzie up at her new school. Unable to free himself from monitoring a crucial mission in Brazil, Q had asked James if he would be able to pick up his daughter after school. The operative had only recently returned from a mission to Brussels. Bond readily agreed and Q thought nothing more about it.

Hours later, when Q had finally helped an operative out of the slums of Rio, he realized he had yet to see his daughter or one specific Double ‘O’. Q quickly sent off a text inquiring where the two people were. The answer sent him running out of his department and down the halls.

“In Medical.” Was all James had texted back.

Q’s heart was racing. He felt lightheaded as the panic rushed through his body. He did not slow down his stride as he hit the double doors leading into the Medical Department of MI6. He dashed passed the nurse on reception and rushed into the ward with several beds lined up for triage.

James was standing next to the bed that Lizzie was sitting on. His stance was relaxed, dressed in workout clothing and his arms crossed informally over his chest. Lizzie was still in her school uniform but missing her school cardigan. She had a big lolly in her hand and was presently licking the sweet.

Q rushed forward and grasped his daughter’s shoulders.

“Kitten! Where are you hurt?!” Q was panting.

Lizzie wrinkled her face up at her father and pouted her lips.

“I’m not hurt, Daddy.”

“Q, let me explain . . .” James started to lean forward.

“LET YOU EXPLAIN! ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS PICK HER UP AT SCHOOL!” Q shouted. “Not do something that would put her into Medical!” Q began to feel faint, unable to catch his breath.

“What?” James looked confused.

“Daddy, I’m not the one who got hurt. I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean it!” Lizzie said as she shifted to wrap her arms around Q’s neck. “Please don’t be mad, Daddy. I was just doing what Uncle James told me to do.”

“Oh dear, God! What did Uncle James tell you to do?!” Q pulled his daughter closer and sat on the edge of the bed.

“I stopped Uncle Alec.” Lizzie said as she settled in Q’s lap.

Q’s eyes flew open and wide. He blinked then twisted around to see Alec Trevelyan in the next bed getting his hand cleaned by a nurse.

“006?” Q asked stunned to see the man sitting there.

Alec’s left eye was red and swollen. A dark blue bruise was blooming at his right jawline. His right hand was bloody and had numerous little punctures in it. The agent was also holding an ice pack over his groin.

“Quartermaster.” Alec growled deeply. “Your daughter is a menace.”

“I beg your pardon? And are those teeth marks?” Q asked looking at the curved row of punctures.

“She bit me!” Alec raised his voice and Lizzie ducked her head. The nurse tutted at him to remain still.

James started laughing. “I told her to use any way available to her. It’s not her fault you under estimated her.”

Q shook his head as he held his daughter tighter. He twisted the child around so he could look into her face.

“Alright, let’s start at the beginning. Bond was supposed to have picked Lizzie up at school. How did we get to my daughter using a Double ‘O’ agent as a chew toy?”

James remained silent and seemed to be concentrating on the plaster on the wall. Lizzie had returned to licking her lolly and Alec was watching as the nurse wrapped a white gauze bandage around his right hand.

“Will someone please tell me what happened?” Q ask again. He was getting exasperated with the three of them.

“It was Bond’s idea.” Alec said.

“I was just doing what I was taught to do.” Lizzie jumped in.

Q glanced at his daughter. “Just doing what you were taught? By Uncle James?”

The child nodded her head and took another lick. Q twisted to glare at the blonde. “Bond?”

The blonde grimaced at the little girl, but he didn’t show any true anger behind his blue eyes.

“I think it is important that Lizzie knows some basic self-defense moves . . . just in case something ever happened again.”

“Self-defense? Trevelyan is a Double ‘O’! What did you teach her?”

“Just to fight dirty.” James smiled at the father and daughter. “I gave her some pointers on the more sensitive portions of a male attacker’s body. Then I asked Alec to spar with her.”

Q glanced over at the man getting his hand bandaged.

“Trevelyan outweighs my daughter by twelve stone!”

“Don’t worry Q, she is more than capable of protecting herself.” Alec said wincing as the nurse tied off the bandage.

“You’re going to need a shot before you leave here.” The nurse said.

“A shot!? My daughter is not some kind of dog!”

“No, but 006 is still going to need a tetanus shot and start a series of antibiotics.” The nurse barely covered her laughter.

Q shook his head again.

“Let’s try to stay on track. Bond decided to teach my seven year old daughter self-defense. How did Trevelyan end up in Medical?”

James shrugged and sat down on the opposite side of the bed.

“I gave Lizzie some pointers on how to incapacitate another kidnapper. You know, jab them in the eyes. Head butt their nose.”

Alec gave a sarcastic huff and growled ‘ _nose?_ ’ James glanced over at him then back to Q.

“She is a quick learner, Q. She was doing great with me, so when Alec came in I asked him to let her practice on him. But I think Lizzie didn’t understand about ‘pulling her punches’. Alec wasn’t exactly prepared for Lizzie’s attack. Well who would be? She doesn’t look that threatening.”

Alec picked up the story. “I picked her up and she jabbed me in the eye. Two fingers! Then she bit down on my hand and wouldn’t let go until I set her down. That’s when she head butted me.”

Q drew his eyebrows in and down as while thinking. His eyes glanced up to the bruise on the man’s face.

“How did my four foot daughter reach up and head butt you in the face?” He asked.

“She didn’t. She head butted me in my groin!” Alec picked up the ice bag and shook it at the Quartermaster.

Q’s eyes blinked rapidly. He looked down at his innocent looking daughter. An unasked question present on his face.

“Uncle James said it was a great place to hit a man.” Lizzie said between licks of on the sweet.

“Uncle James?” Q glanced up at Bond.

“I didn’t think she was going use her head as a battering ram, Q.” James couldn’t help but smile at the father and daughter. “That’s when Alec fell to the floor, grasping his . . . well, he was on the floor and not protecting his head. That’s when Lizzie kicked him in the face.”

“What?!” Q turned back to his daughter. “Why did you kick Mister Trevelyan in the face?”

“Uncle James said I should kick the bad guys when they’re down.” She answered in the same honest tone as before.

Q’s eyes widened again and he glared over at James. He could hear 006 growling softly in the background.

“I didn’t mean it literally. I told her once she got away from the bad guy she need to find a police officer to get him arrested. I think I actually said ‘not to stop, but to kick him when he is down and have the cop put him in jail’. Lizzie must have thought it was going to be the police officer who would kick Alec and since one wasn’t around, she took it upon herself to finish him off.”

“Almost broke my tooth with those pointed little toes.” Alec hissed.

“Oh, obludeck don’t be so silly.” Lizzie said to Alec. Then she turned back and smiled at her father. “It’s a pet name they have for each other, Daddy. I learned it.”

Q pushed his daughter back out of his embrace and looked at her. Then he glanced back and forth between the two blondes who suddenly broke out in laughter. The pronunciation was bad but he knew the word.

“Okay, which one of you taught my daughter to swear in Russian?”

Before either man could answer the door of Medical opened and Tanner walked in. He had a scowl on his face. His lips were drawn into a thin line as his eye seem to narrow. He marched up to Alec’s bed and glared down on the man.

“006, what did you do?” Tanner’s tone was sharp and unyielding. Q couldn’t remember ever seeing the man this angry before.

“It wasn’t me, Tanner. It was Q’s daughter.”

“You are supposed to be going to Moscow tonight. We have spent weeks establishing a cover and setting up contacts for you. Now I’ve been informed you are not mission ready.”

Alec looked down at his bandaged hand, turning it over then glancing back up to Tanner. “It shouldn’t affect my ability to shoot a gun.”

“Your face is bruised and you look like you have some kind of eye infection. We wanted you to blend in, not look like you brawled your way into the group.”

“It was Lizzie.” Alec said in his defense.

“Are you trying to tell me that Q’s seven year old daughter took down a Double ‘O’ and ruined a mission six months in the planning?” Tanner growled.

“Well, no . . .” Alec said sheepishly. “But the bruises will give me some credibility as a criminal myself. We can work with this. No reason to cancel the mission.”

“Medical just rescinded your fitness for duty status. You can’t go.” Tanner’s face was beginning to bloom red.

“THEY WHAT?!” Alec shouted.

“I’m sorry,” Lizzie cried. Q pulled her close and wrapped his arms around his crying child. Tanner glanced over and noticed the distraught child.

“Lizzie, no sweetheart, I’m not angry with you. 006 should have known better than to get hurt just before he needed to leave town.” Tanner tried to console the girl.

“Give me two days and I can go.” Alec said softer. “I’ll pass whatever test Medical gives me.”

“It’s not the test, Trevelyan. It’s the antibiotics you need to take. We can’t send you out a mission knowing you need to be on antibiotics. Seven days. You are grounded for seven days.”

Alec rolled his eyes and growled. “Alright, I go in a week.”

“The mission is time sensitive. I need you there tomorrow night.”

“I’ll go in his place.”

Everyone turned towards James. The man was still sitting on the edge of the bed across from Q. James continued.

“My Russian is as good as Alec’s and we can pass for brothers. How difficult would it be for me to be him?”

Tanner took a moment to consider the option. He opened the file he was holding in his hand and reviewed the specs of the mission.

“They don’t have a photograph of 006. It could work. Have you been cleared since your last mission?” Tanner asked.

“Two days ago. On mandatory down time now. Supposed to be here for two weeks.” James said as his eyes flicked over to Q’s. They had planned on spending the next two weeks together. Just the three of them.

“It could work. How soon can you be ready to go?” Tanner started to consider all the adjustments to the mission that were going to be needed if they sent 007 instead of 006.

“I’ll be packed and ready by tonight, sir.”

James couldn’t help himself. He reached over and took Q’s hand. Tanner noticed the gesture but said nothing. Instead, Tanner glance back at Alec.

“Looks like you need to buy, Bond a drink. I’ll have the brief in my office for you to read, 007. Be there in ten minutes for a meeting with M.” Tanner turned and walked out of the department.

They waited to speak until the door closed and the four people were left alone.

“James, you don’t have to go. You just got back from being away for weeks.” Alec said softly. “I don’t need any antibiotics. Lizzie is healthy and so am I. I’ll go.”

Lizzie turned to look up at her father. “Does Uncle James have to go away again? I don’t want him to go away. I’ll be good, please make him stay, Daddy.”

Q watched the tears begin to swell in his daughter’s eyes. He leaned down and kissed her dark curls. Turning his face, he gently rubbed his cheek on top of Lizzie’s head.

“You did nothing wrong, kitten. Don’t cry, please. Uncle James has a difficult job, and sometimes he needs to be away from us.” Q’s voice softened.

“But I don’t want him to go.” She pleaded. Bond felt a sudden tight string tug on his ribs.

“I don’t want him to go either, but we don’t always get what we want in this life. It is more important we get what we need. And we need for Uncle James to go away and do his job. Then he will come home to us and we will celebrate.”

Lizzie looked over at James. Her big hazel eyes where shiny with tears. The lolly forgotten and laying in the sheets on the bed. James could feel the pull of those eyes. He could feel the need to comfort and protect the pair sitting together. He opened his arms and Lizzie scooted across the bed and into his lap. Her little face burrowing into his chest. A warmth bloomed inside him. Some forgotten emotion started to grow and fill him. It was odd but yet familiar.

“I promise you, Lizzie. I will be back to take you to see the swans again.” He whispered into her hair. James looked up and saw the similar hazel eyes watching him from his Quartermaster. He reached out and took Q’s hand. “I’ll be back for both of you.” He kissed Lizzie’s temple. “I have to go meet my boss, but I will come by your place tonight for dinner. Maybe, we can even get Daddy to cook it.”

“I’d rather have take away than Daddy’s cooking.” Lizzie answered honestly.

The three laughed unhappily. James stood and started to walk to the door. Q quickly came up behind them and wrapped his arm around James’ waist. Lizzie looked over her shoulder and called out to Alec, who was still lying on the bed.

“Bye-bye, obludeck.”

Q growled as he reached for his daughter. “That’s does it, Bond. You are no longer allowed to pick my daughter up from school. I can just imagine the phone call from the head master, I’ll get when she calls her classmate bastard.”


	12. Late Night Phone Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter. Q gets the phone call he's been waiting for.

Late Night Phone Calls

Q was sitting on his bed, his laptop resting comfortably over his folded legs. It was late and the flat was quiet. He was dressed in his sleep trousers and one of James’ t-shirts he had left behind. The television set was muted and the lamp was on low next to him.

Beside him in the bed was his daughter. She was sound asleep. Her little head cradled on the pillow James usually used when he slept over. Q glanced away from the report he was reviewing and looked at his daughter’s sleeping face. Her expression was smooth and delicate. Her red lips were dark like his and in a small pout. Her nose was slowing changing from the adorable toddler’s pug nose into his more rounded one. Every day, she took on more of his appearance and expressions. There was no doubt for anyone that Elizabeth Park was his daughter.

Q dragged his fingertips through the child’s hair and smiled. He couldn’t imagine being separated from his daughter. He thought back on the time they were kept apart and wondered how he had been able to do for so long. Four years they had been apart. Only allowed to see each other on weekends and the odd holiday. Now, being with her every day was like seeing the world fresh and anew. Bright and beautiful. He couldn’t even breath now, unless he knew she was there with him.

Then Q thought something still felt off. Something wasn’t right. As wonderful as it was to see his child sleeping next to him, he wished someone else was there, sleeping beside him. Living his life with Q. Instead of dark curls, Q wanted to see short blonde hair with flecks of grey beginning to show. A tan face with age produced creases. Blue eyes sharp enough to cut glass. Q wanted Bond. He wanted the infuriating and irresponsible man, who after everything they had been through, still made him feel safe.

Somehow, James had become a part of Q’s small family. He was a comforting embrace and warm touch. He was humor and indulgence to Q. The mere thought of the man sent shivers through Q’s body and his absence filled Q with a longing.

His phone began to ring next to him on the nightstand. Q glanced down and looked at the caller ID. It was quite late so Q thought it was probably MI6. To his surprise it wasn’t.

“Hello?” Q answered, hoping it was the man and not someone else checking up on Bond.

“Q.”

“It’s late, James. What’s wrong? What do you need?” Q started to push his laptop off his legs getting ready to rush to get dressed and get down to Vauxhall.

“Nothing, don’t worry. Everything is fine. Ivan will be taking me to meet the general tomorrow. Then we’ll know who in the Russian government is supplying the weapons to the terrorists. I just wanted to call. I missed hearing your voice.” There was a warmth in James voice that traveled over the phone and infused into Q.

Q smiled and leaned back in the bed.

“I missed hearing yours, too.” Q said softly.

“I know the custody hearing was today. Is everything okay? Are we going to get to keep our girl?” Bond asked. The concern was masked in his voice but Q could tell James was anxious.

“Yes.” Q could hear the sigh on the other end of the line. “Katherine dropped her claim. She’s moving back to England. Apparently things didn’t work out between her and Marcus. She will be moving in with her parents and they didn’t want Lizzie around. Katherine will get supervised visits but I want to make it less restrictive.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Q.”

“Katherine is irresponsible but she’s not dangerous around our daughter. She shouldn’t be punished because she’s got her priorities mixed up.”

“Q, you are too soft hearted.” James paused for a moment then said. “I like that ‘our daughter’. It makes me think you are talking about you and me with Lizzie.”

Heat flooded Q’s body as his stomach did a little flip. He dragged his teeth over his lower lip, then asked.

“Is that something you might be interested in?”

“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t been thinking about it. After everything . . . after my own family and Vesper, and M. I just never thought I would have a chance. A normal life.”

“James, you are a spy and I’m the Quartermaster of MI6, a normal life is not an apt description of us.”

“Nor simple life, but it feels right. You can’t deny it, can you?” James asked. There was a hint of hope in his voice.

Q was quiet for a heartbeat, then another. “No, I can’t deny it. I just didn’t know if it was what you wanted.”

“It’s like I didn’t know I wanted it until I saw it right before me. Q, I’m scarred . . . I’m old and battered and scarred. I carry wounds that may never heal and I’m probably the last person who you would ever want around your daughter or yourself, but I find I can’t be without you. I don’t want to be without you. Both of you. If you gave me a chance . . . if we could try to be a . . . a family, I would be everything you wanted. I’d change everything for you.”

“What if I don’t want you to change a thing?” Q asked. Silence stretched out painfully, until Q spoke again. “What if I want you just as you are? We both do.”

“Are you telling me the truth?”

“Yes. James we want you with us. I know how I feel and Lizzie wears her emotions on her sleeve. She loves you.”

James was quiet for a moment. Then asked, “Do you love me?” His voice was deep and purring, but there was also a hesitation that only Q could hear.

“Yes.” The word slipped out between Q’s lips on his breath. He wasn’t even sure he said it until James responded.

“I love you, too. I never knew I could feel this attached to another human being but I am to you . . . to both of you.”

“How soon till you can come home?” Q asked feeling flushed. Suddenly, he wanted the agent home in London. He wanted to touch and feel the man. Hold him and kiss him.

“I meet with Ivan in the morning around ten. We will meet with the general and then I will have a location of the stole missiles. Maybe a few days.”

“Be careful. I can’t lose you now.” Q said feeling a twinge of worry slip into him.

“I have a reason to stay alive now. I’ll be there. For you and Lizzie. For our . . .”

“Our family.” Q whispered back.

He knew James was smiling on the other end of the line. The two men were silent, letting the emotions and comprehension of what they had just said to each other soak into them.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” James promised. “I must go now. I don’t want anyone to hear this call.”

“Alright. Be careful. When you come back, we’ll tell Lizzie. She will be over the moon.” Q paused, then said again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Brandon.”

James hung up the phone. He was laying on the bed in the cheap Moscow hotel. He could hear someone yelling down the hall and a woman cursing back. He could smell the sweat and liquor that permeated the room. The sound of the brakes on the trolley outside the window. His senses registered all these things but he ignored them. He just kept hearing Q’s voice repeating those three words.

James sighed and closed his eyes. He remembered the day he stumbled into Q Branch with the hope of seducing the young man for the evening. A quick one off to burn through his post mission adrenaline. Then he saw the eyes of a six year old girl. Large hazel eyes that mirrored those of her father. He remembered back over the last nine months. Her birthday and the kidnapping. He remembered New Year’s Eve and how shy Q was on their first date. He remember it all and was amazed how Lizzie Park had turned his world upside down. And instead of relieving some pent up tension, she introduced him to the one thing he never thought he could have. A future.

James’ eyes slipped shut as sleep finally came to him. Tonight there would be no nightmares. Just dreams of swans and fireworks. And of his Quartermaster and their daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't thank you all for the wonderful comments and support. I will probably be returning to these character's again. Lizzie is too charming to give up. Any suggestions of possible adventures in the future would be welcomed.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are welcomed.


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